Bulldogs drop opener of big series
Gonzaga lost the first game of a pivotal four-game West Coast Conference series, 3-0, to Loyola Marymount Friday in Los Angeles.
The Bulldogs dropped to 28-23 overall and 15-12 in the WCC. The Zags still need to win two of the remaining three games to capture the WCC Coast Division crown over LMU. With the win, the Lions improve to 27-25 overall and 15-12 in the WCC and are now in a tie with the Bulldogs for first place in the division.
The Lions got on the board quickly in the first inning on Jon Oller’s two-run single to right-center field. LMU scored its other run in the sixth inning on Kyle Mura’s RBI double.
Bobby Carlson was 2 for 3 for the Bulldogs.
Josh Monroe (9-4) got the loss, allowing the three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Jeff Stevens (6-7) picked up the win for the Lions, allowing no runs on five hits while striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings of work.
The Bulldogs and Lions play a doubleheader today.
•UCLA starting pitcher Hector Ambriz gave up two runs over 8 1/3 innings to lead the Bruins past Washington State 4-3 in a Pacific-10 game in Pullman.
Ambriz (3-6) threw 138 pitches, scattered eight hits, struck out four and walked four. UCLA is 14-36, 3-16. WSU fell to 20-33, 0-19.
The three-game Pac-10 series continues today at 1 p.m.
•Tim Lincecum struck out 13 in a complete game and the Huskies got three hits each from Zach Clem, Matt Hague and Nick Batkoski as Washington (29-21, 8-11) beat No. 17 Arizona State (30-21, 11-8), 6-4, in Seattle in the first game of a three-game Pac-10 series.
•CC Spokane defeated Big Bend 2-0 and Columbia Basin College 3-2 at the NWAACC East Region playoffs in Pasco.
Luke Farden threw a three-hitter in the shutout victory. Errors by CBC allowed CCS to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the seventh and eighth innings in the other victory.
The Sasquatch, who play in the title game at 3 p.m. today at Tri-Cities Stadium, have already qualified for the conference tournament by winning the regular-season region title. The game today will determine seeding.
•Seven players from CCS earned all-conference honors while the Sasquatch’s Dave Keller was chosen Eastern Region Coach of the Year.
On the first team are infielder Bryan Winston, catcher Shawn Gizynski, outfielders Scott Santschi and Brent Mertens, and pitcher Luke Farden. Pitchers Travis Bertholf and Joe Byers are second-teamers.
Keller led the Sasquatch to an overall record of 27-12, and an 18-10 league record, winning the East Region championship for the first time since 1995.