Usc, Zags Hammer Foes
Southern California showed local fans why it was ranked among the nation’s elite last spring by stinging Washington 6-1 during Friday’s opening day of the Evans, Craven & Lackie College Baseball Invitational at August/A.R.T. Stadium.
But most of those in attendance were probably more impressed by the home team, Gonzaga, which upstaged the Trojans by blasting Oregon State 16-5 in the first game of the three-day, round-robin event, which concludes Sunday.
The Bulldogs, behind the scorching bat of Brendan Hare, plated nine runs in the top half of the fifth inning to chase two OSU relievers and put the Beavers away.
Hare, who had four hits on the day, including a three-run homer in the third, stroked a pair of singles and drove in another run in GU’s decisive fifth.
Center fielder Jeff Bowne added three hits and two RBIs for the Zags, who face USC this afternoon at 2:30. OSU and Washington meet at 11 a.m.
The Trojans hammered four Washington pitchers for 14 hits, including a pair of doubles, and stole five bases in picking up their easy win.
Second baseman Wes Rachels stroked three of those hits, drove in one run and scored another. He also stole two bases.
Women’s soccer
Jill Stewart scored a first-half goal and her University of Wisconsin teammates made it stand up for a 1-0 win over Washington State in the first round of the Cougars’ four-team Lanzera Tournament.
Montana edged Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1-0 in the other firstround match.
Stewart’s goal came in the 31st minute and gave the Badgers (6-2-2) their first win ever against the Cougars (2-4-1), who continue to struggle offensively.
“We threw three forwards up top in the second half and created a lot of scoring opportunities,” said WSU coach Lisa Gozley. “We just didn’t finish them off.”
The tournament resumes Sunday, with WSU meeting UW-Milwaukee at 11 a.m. and Wisconsin facing Montana at 2 p.m.
Freshman forward Sierra Marsh scored the only goal of the match as Oregon blanked Gonzaga 1-0 in Eugene, Ore.
The win left UO with a much better feeling than last Saturday’s 3-3 tie with the Bulldogs at GU.
“We had better chances to score in the second period than we did in the first,” said Ducks coach Bill Steffen, “but that’s happened before when we’ve outplayed opponents but didn’t come away with the win.”
Men’s soccer
Despite dominating most of the game and creating plenty of solid scoring opportunities, visiting Community Colleges of Spokane had to settle for a 0-0 tie with NWACC rival Everett.
CCS (6-1-2), which still leads the conference, outshot Everett (4-1-2) 15-9.
, DataTimes