CCS stays in thick of playoff race with sweep

It took a major “gift” in the first game and a late comeback in the second, but Community Colleges of Spokane finally managed to post a rare doubleheader baseball sweep of Walla Walla Community College Wednesday afternoon at Spokane Falls Community College.

The Sasquatch used a pair of unearned run in the ninth inning – courtesy of a dropped fly ball to center field and Scott Carr’s one-out sacrifice fly – to win the opener 4-3, before scoring nine runs in their final two at-bats to take the nightcap 10-5.

The sweep vaulted the Sasquatch (20-16 overall, 12-14 NWAACC) from a tie for seventh place to sole possession of third in the East Region standings, and kept them in contention for one of the two remaining spots in the four-team regional playoffs with just two games remaining.

“This was huge for us,” said shortstop Kelly Gau, who was one of seven CCS sophomores playing their final home game. “We’ve had trouble this year getting sweeps, so getting this won – especially on Sophomore Day – is a big deal.”

The Sasquatch appeared doomed in the opener when the Warriors (24-19, 11-15) scored in the top of the ninth inning to take a 3-2 lead. But after Keaton Matlock drew a walk to open the bottom of the ninth, Cam Christian lofted a deep one-out fly ball to center that was dropped by Connor Moore.

Gau then grounded to first, but the throw home was too late to get Matlock, who scored the tying run. Christian took third on the play and scored the winning run on Carr’s sacrifice fly.

The Sasquatch won the game despite getting only two hits – both of which came in the seventh when they tied the game on Gau’s sacrifice bunt – and making four errors.

“That doesn’t happen very often,” CCS coach Bobby Lee said.

Martin Aquirre (4-3) went the distance in the opener and picked up the win.

“He just battled like crazy,” Lee said of the freshman right-hander, who struck out five and scattered five hits. “We gave up two runs in the first inning that weren’t his fault, but he came back and battled his tail off.”

Rex Ireland (3-1), the third of CCS’ four pitchers, picked up the win in the nightcap, in which Gau ripped a two-run double to highlight a four-run eighth inning.

CCS closes regular-season play Saturday with a doubleheader in Pasco against regular-season champion Columbia Basin College (38-6, 20-4), which has clinched a playoff berth, along with second-place Wenatchee Valley (21-17).

The Sasquatch posted a rare sweep of CBC at home earlier this spring, and Gau is hoping he and his teammates can draw some confidence from their previous success against the Hawks.

“We know we can beat them,” Gau said. “But the thing is, they’re going to be out looking for blood, so we’re going to have to do a good job of just playing our game – like we did the first time – and competing.”

•West Coast Conference: Gonzaga University catcher Tyson Van Winkle was named the WCC/Rawlings Player of the Month for April after batting .493 (33 for 67) with two home runs, seven doubles and 20 runs batted in the 16 games the Bulldogs played last month. Van Winkle enters GU’s last six regular-season games leading the team in hitting (.378), hits (70), doubles (21) and slugging percentage (.557).

Arena football

The Spokane Shock (5-0), after keeping their record unblemished with a 49-30 home win over the Iowa Barnstormers on Saturday, remained No. 1 in the arenafootball2 league’s Coaches Poll for the seventh week in row.

The Shock received 24 of 25 first-place votes, with the other going to the No. 2-ranked Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (5-1).

Hockey

The Spokane Chiefs have announced that the contract of assistant coach Leigh Mendelson will not be renewed.