CCS still has the hammer

Just when it seems the Community Colleges of Spokane is about to grab ahold of the NWAACC East Division baseball race, the Sasquatch let it slip through their fingers.

Literally.

“We kicked the ball around seven times in game one,” CCS coach Dave Keller said of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep at the hands of Treasure Valley CC. “We should have least come away with a split.”

Even though CCS lost two to a team it’s tied with (both are 15-9 in division play along with Columbia Basin), the Saquatch still control their destiny as the league season winds down this week.

At least Keller thinks so.

“The way I read our rules, head-to-head is the first tiebreaker, so we should win if all three teams tie,” he said. The Saquatch split the season series with TVCC and took three of four from CBC. CBC took three of four from TVCC.

But it doesn’t matter unless CCS takes care of last-place Yakima Valley in Yakima on Wednesday and Walla Walla at home Saturday. Yes that’s the same YVCC team that swept CBC on Saturday on CBC’s home field.

“That was a shocker,” Keller said, then corrected himself. “I guess nothing is a shocker in this league this year.”

Winning the division assures the East Division champion the ability to host the East Division playoffs next week and a spot in the NWAACC championships, no matter what happens in the division tournament. The champ can go 0-2 in the four-team gathering and still be the second seed for the NWAACC tournament. Of course, winning the playoffs earns a top seed and, presumably, an easier game in the NWAACC tournament.

Keller likes his chances because the Sasquatch have their “pitching in order,” Keller said. “Now it’s just time to get hot and stay that way for a few weeks.”

The pitching includes starters Luke Farden (5-1, 3.00 earned run average), Paul Knutson (2-0, 0.64), Travis Bertholf (5-2, 1.45) and Cody Harmon (5-4) and relievers Joe Byers (four saves), Jordan Moore (4-1) and Brandon Zimmerman (three saves).

Keller has concerns about Walla Walla’s ability to score runs and is hoping his team can get up early and get into the bullpen. To do that, CCS will probably rely on the bats of Bryan Winston (.431 average), Brent Mertens (.365, 27 RBIs) and Hank Anderson (.295, and team leader with three home runs and 29 RBIs).

Around the area

Despite a 1-5 record in the their last six West Coast Conference games, despite wasting a chance to put the Coast Division on ice and despite an offense that’s hit the skids, the Gonzaga Bulldogs still control their division destiny. All they have to do is win two series. On the road. And the second one, a four-game set due to a rainout in Spokane, is against the division’s hottest team, Loyola- Marymount. But before then, the Zags travel to Saint Mary’s this weekend, while San Diego, percentage points behind GU in the Coast race after winning two of three last weekend, will host Loyola… . The Bulldogs should be able to make up ground on either the Toreros or the Lions, but they’ll have to find a way to beat Saint Mary’s. They struggled to do that earlier this year as the Gaels, last in the Coast Division, took two of three from GU in Spokane. … After pounding out 12 runs in the series opener Friday, the Zags scored four runs over the next 18 innings in the two losses. Shortstop Aaron McGuinness was one of the few bright notes offensively, collecting five hits in the last two games and raising his season average to .293.

Whitworth ended its season on a down note, losing three straight at Lewis-Clark State, the top-ranked NAIA team in the nation. But despite the season-ending sweep, the Pirates finished 19-18, their first winning season since 2002. … Whitworth had two senior pitchers make their final starts, and failed to score for either. Dan Lundberg opened Saturday’s doubleheader with a complete game, scattering 10 hits in a 5-0 loss that dropped his season record to 5-5. Ben McCracken (4-5) started the season finale Sunday, going 71/3 innings in a 7-0 loss. In Saturday’s second game, the Whits rallied with two in the top of the ninth but fell short, 4-3. Cody Person (5-2) tossed a complete game, allowing three earned runs and seven hits. … Person, catcher Jason Martin and shortstop Nick Froman were named second-team on the All-Northwest Conference team announced Monday. Lundberg, McCracken and second baseman Dan Gebbers earned honorable mention.

Washington State took the first two games of its non-conference series with Sacramento State and the Cougars used a formula that was quite common early in the year to snap a seven-game losing streak. Left-hander Jimmy Freeman threw 72/3 scoreless innings in the opener, Wayne Daman Jr. threw 62/3 strong innings in the second game and the Cougs pounded out 24 hits in the two games… . Freeman won for the first time since March 18, halting a personal five-game losing streak and raising his record to 7-5… . Catcher Brady Everett paced the offense in the first two games with five hits, including three home runs to give him a team-leading 13, and six RBIs. … The Cougars host Lewis-Clark State in a 7 p.m. game Wednesday before traveling to Los Angeles for three Pac-10 games with USC starting Friday. The Trojans are fourth in the conference and ranked in the top 25. The Cougs will probably face right-hander Ian Kennedy in Friday’s opener. The sophomore is 9-1 overall, 6-0 in his last six starts, having gone 181/3 innings without yielding a run.