Pilots get past Cougars

Three unearned Portland runs in the first inning put Washington State in a hole it never escaped in a 6-3 non-conference baseball loss on Wednesday at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, as the Cougars managed just five hits.

Third baseman Matt Argyropoulous’ throwing error opened the door in the first for the Pilots (24-24), who got a two-run single from Cort Carpenter and an RBI double by Garrett Queen. Two more runs in the second was all the support pitcher Ed Wakefield (3-1) and three relievers would need.

Freshman starter Spencer Jackson (0-2) took the loss for the Cougars (26-21). Six WSU pitchers combined to strike out 14 Portland batters.

•Also in non-conference play: Gonzaga’s game at Oregon State was rained out and will not be rescheduled.

Track and field

WAC meet: Idaho’s Darcy Collins used a career-best high jump of 5 feet, 8 inches to move into third place after the first four events of the heptathlon at the conference meet in Logan, Utah.

Collins’ total of 3,025 points trails leader Annette Wichmann of Hawaii (3,233) and is just 48 out of second place. In the decathlon, Idaho sophomore Andrew Blaser totaled 3,518 after the first day to lead teammates Ryan Bowen and Matt Grogan to a 4-5-7 standing.

•Sasquatch Carnival: Whitworth added another qualifier for next week’s NCAA Division III championships when junior Danjuma Quarless pumped out a 2-foot lifetime best in the shot put – 53-81/4 – at Spokane Falls CC.

The Pirates got another provisional qualifier when Dusty Caseria ran a 1 minutes, 52.78 second 800 meters behind teammate Emmanuel Bofa’s 1:49.96.

Ashley Hutchinson of the Community Colleges of Spokane won three events, increasing her school record in the hammer to 166-4.