Cougars End L-C State’S Win Streak

Washington State ended Lewis-Clark State’s 18-game winning streak Tuesday with an 11-7 non-conference home baseball victory at Bailey-Brayton Field.

Ray Hattenburg went 3 for 5 and Jason Grove hit his first home run of the season to lead WSU’s 15-hit afternoon. WSU (12-13) won its fourth consecutive game and dropped the Warriors, top-ranked in the NAIA, to 23-4.

Although he didn’t earn the win, WSU’s Les McTavish pitched three-hit, shutout ball for three innings. Matt O’Brien pitched the ninth for his third save.

LCSC tied the game at 5 in the fifth on Yoshi Kimura’s three-run homer and Kyle Woods’ solo shot. WSU had a three-run fifth, on Stefan Bailie’s team-leading sixth homer and Jordan Nilsen’s two-run double.

LC State, the defending NAIA champion, topped the rankings in the first regular-season poll, released Tuesday. The Warriors received 25 of a possible 29 first-place votes for 721 points and a comfortable lead over runner-up Oklahoma City (668).

Aaron Keller’s two-out single to right scored Jason Roorda, completing Whitworth’s 3-2, 5-4 non-conference sweep of visiting Western Baptist.

Roorda had a two-out double to right field and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Jeff Tollison (0-1). Ryan Pugh (1-0), who pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two, earned the win.

Keller’s one-out single to right-center in the seventh inning of the first game helped Whitworth (6-9) rally past the Warriors (8-7). Scott Biglin singled in Keller, then his pinch-runner, Richard Brown, scored on Jeremy Van Voorhis’ one-out double to left-center.

Senior right-hander Steve Bennett collected his third West Coast Conference pitcher of the week honor after tossing seven shutout innings in Gonzaga’s 19-4 win against No. 23 Loyola Marymount on Sunday.

Bennett (3-2) scattered four hits on the afternoon while striking out four. Bennett leads the WCC in strikeouts (62) and earned-run average (2.47).

Jarod Ingersol singled, doubled and hit a grand slam as Southern Utah snapped Washington’s three-game winning streak with a 13-8 win at St. George, Utah.

Zach Barnard (6-1) of the Thunderbirds (8-9) pitched 7-2/3 innings for the win. Ingersol snapped a 1-all tie with a grand slam off Zack Daniels (0-1) in the fourth.

Men’s golf

Washington State finished tied for 14th place at the 15-team Oregon Invitational in Eugene. Washington finished at 857 to edge the host Ducks by one stroke for the title.

WSU’s top finisher was Jon Reehoorn, at 6-over-par 222. Oregon State’s Anthony Arvidson and San Jose State’s Lucas Horrobin tied for first at 4-under 212.

Eastern Washington tied for seventh and Gonzaga placed 13th at the 14-team San Diego Invitational.

Champion Stan Matthews fired a 4-over 220 to lead Cal State Stanislaus to the team title. EWU’s Kyle Kelly shot 228 to tie for 10th. GU’s Corey DeGrood was at 233, tied for 32nd.