Cornhuskers Ramble Past Cougars In Texas

Justin Cowan homered and drove in five runs to spark the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 12-4 victory over the Washington State Cougars in the Arlington Morning News Invitational at Allan Saxe Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.

Cowan’s first-inning three-run home run off Cougars starter Nick Kenyon staked the Cornhuskers (3-2) to an early lead.

Solo homers by Stefan Bailie and Steve Curran off Nebraska starter Jamie Rodriguez in the bottom of the second inning pulled WSU (3-6) to within a run.

Cowan’s RBI double capped a two-run fifth inning for the Cornhuskers and stretched the lead to 5-2.

But a sacrifice fly and a throwing error helped the Cougs score twice in the bottom of the inning and cut the deficit to one.

The game stayed tight until the eighth inning. Nebraska took advantage of four WSU errors in the final two innings to score six runs and blow the game open.

Nebraska reliever Steve Hale (1-0) notched the victory for the Huskers throwing 4-1/3 shutout innings and allowing only two hits.

Kenyon (0-2) took the loss for the Cougars, giving up three runs in just 1-1/3 innings.

WSU will look to snap its two-game losing streak this afternoon against tournament host Texas-Arlington. Tyson Thompson (1-1, 6.75) is scheduled to start on the mound for WSU.

The Creighton Bluejays scored in every inning but the fifth and cruised to a 14-3 victory over the Washington Huskies in the Rawlings Spring Training Tournament at Municipal Stadium in Phoenix.

Steve Bennette tossed a three-hitter over six innings to help the Gonzaga Bulldogs take a 6-1 lead over the Saint Mary’s Gaels in a a game suspended in the seventh inning because of darkness.

The game, played at San Francisco State because a winter storm washed out Saint Mary’s field, will be completed today. The Bulldogs will play SFSU after the completion of the suspended game.

Swimming

Puget Sound wrapped up Northwest Conference men’s and women’s team championships on the final day of competition at the Linfield Aquatic Center in McMinnville, Ore.

For the Puget Sound women it was their fourth straight title. The Loggers’ men successfully unseated two-time defending champion Linfield.

Whitworth finished second in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Whitworth had three individual winners on the final day.

Mindy Galbraith took first in the women’s 1,650-yard freestyle. Ben Swinehart won the men’s 1,650 freestyle, while Brent Rice took first in the 200 butterfly.

Track and field

Washington State’s Arend Watkins placed second in the men’s 60-meter high hurdles at the Golden Spike Invitational in Pocatello.

Watkins finished in 7.78 seconds.

In high-school-aged competition, Jessica Pluth of Spokane’s Performance Athletics track club placed first in the women’s 20-pound weight throw at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho.

Pluth’s throw went 51 feet, 6 inches and earned her an invitation to the indoor scholastic championships at Indianapolis later this month.

Cassie Rosette (42-8) and Sammie Missel (41-5) placed fifth and seventh, respectively in the weight throw event.

David Crogan finished ninth in the men’s 25-pound weight throw at 49-6.