Ryan, Naumu Help Bat WSU To Easy Victory

Area colleges

Rob Ryan and Ron Naumu each drove in three runs as Washington State cruised past the Portland State Vikings 12-3 on Sunday in a Pac-10 Conference North Division baseball game in Portland’s Civic Stadium.

Starter Kyle Poffenroth (3-5) picked up the win for the Cougars, who climbed back into second place in league play with an 11-8 record. WSU is 20-23 overall. Starter Donnie Schmidt (2-6) took the loss for the Vikings (10-8, 16-27).

WSU benefited from a 15-hit attack and took advantage of four PSU errors.

Poffenroth worked the first six innings, striking out four while giving up all three Portland State runs. Mark Hendrickson worked the seventh and eighth innings, and Justin Marquart threw the final frame.

Naumu put WSU ahead to stay in the first inning, when he belted a bases-loaded, threerun double down the left-field line.

In the second inning, Ryan used his speed to produce an inside-the-park home run, scoring Mike Wetmore ahead of him and allowing the Cougars to jump in front 5-1. Ryan lined a Schmidt pitch between center fielder Cabe Jones and right fielder Damen Bleiler. The ball rolled all the way to the fence, allowing the speedy WSU center fielder to reach home ahead of the relay. Wetmore had four hits, including an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Gonzaga 5, Portland 2

In Portland, Darin Blood earned his 10th win of the Pac-10 North season by pitching a five-hitter to lead the Bulldogs (9-11, 23-21) over the Pilots (7-11, 17-20).

The junior right-hander rang up 10 strikeouts and allowed just one walk.

Left fielder Brendan Hare drove in two runs for Gonzaga, including a sacrifice fly that started a three-run second inning.

Washington 2, Oregon St. 0

In Seattle, Washington’s Sean Spencer pitched a complete game as the first-place Huskies (12-6, 18-22) won their fifth consecutive game by defeating the Beavers (6-1, 16-19-1).

Whitworth 12, Linfield 9

The Pirates (5-4, 13-12-1) used Brandon Allard’s two-out, three-run, ninth-inning home run to beat the Wildcats (4-5, 15-9-1) in NCIC play at Merkel Field.

All told, Whitworth scored six runs in the ninth. Don O’Neal homered, doubled and singled for the Pirates.

Softball

Spokane 4-8, Skagit Valley 2-0

Extra-base hits by Juline Parry and Carrie Morris started the Sasquatch to their doubleheader victories over the Cardinals.

Parry doubled in a first-inning run then singled home another in the third to spur CCS to its first-game triumph. Morris socked a solo home run in the first inning of the nightcap. Julie Fountain pitched a two-hitter.