Cougars clinch third

Washington State came back from an early four-run deficit for a 6-4 win over UCLA on Saturday in Pac-10 baseball action in Los Angeles.

The Cougars’ win, combined with Stanford’s loss to Arizona State, clinched a third-place finish in the conference for 20th-ranked WSU (34-19, 15-11 Pac-10).

The seventh-ranked Bruins (42-13, 17-9 Pac-10) hit four solo home runs before the Cougars battled back. Shea Vucinich’s RBI double in the sixth made it 4-1. WSU took the lead with a four-run seventh that was aided by two UCLA errors.

Seth Harvey (3-1) threw 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to earn the win, and Adam Conley earned his 11th save, one shy of the school record.

•Portland scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Gonzaga 6-2 in West Coast Conference action in Spokane.

The Pilots (33-18, 13-7 WCC) used four hits and took advantage of two Bulldogs errors in the ninth.

Starter Ryan Carpenter recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for Gonzaga (20-35, 8-12 WCC).

•Todd Muecklisch went 3 for 5 with a three-run home run as top-seeded Lewis-Clark State won its first game of the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, 10-5 over Point Loma Nazarene.

Muecklisch’s blast came during the Warriors’ seven-run fifth inning. Kawika Emsley-Pai had a solo home run, Brian Gaylord had a two-run double and Pat Murray had an RBI double during the inning. Josh Ashenbrenner also drove in two runs for LCSC.

Tyler Knigge earned the win, allowing six runs – four earned – on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

The Warriors next face fourth-seeded Lee at 7 p.m. Monday.

•Adam Landecker and Alex Glenn had three RBIs each as USC (27-32, 6-20 Pac-10) beat Washington 10-5 in Pac-10 play in Los Angeles. Andrew Kittredge (Ferris) took the loss for the Huskies (28-27, 10-15 Pac-10), allowing four runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings to drop to 7-7.

Track and field

Washington State and the University of Idaho each had an NCAA qualifier at the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas.

The Cougars’ Holly Parent is headed to next month’s NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 11 1/4 inches, good for ninth place. WSU is sending six athletes to Eugene.

The Vandals’ Gabby Midles threw the hammer 188-6 to finish in ninth place. Idaho is sending seven to Eugene, its biggest contingent in seven years.

•Whitworth’s Emmanuel Bofa just missed his third straight national title in the 800 meters and Cody Stelzer finished fourth in the high jump at the NCAA Division III championships in Berea, Ohio.

Bofa led the 800 until he was passed with 50 meters to go by Max Hanson of Gustavus Adolphus, who won in 1:49.50. Bofa finished second in 1:50.43.

Rowing

Washington’s varsity four advanced to today’s grand final while Washington State’s second varsity eight finished fifth in its only race of the day at the NCAA women’s rowing championships on Lake Natoma outside Sacramento, Calif.

The Cougars finished fifth in the second semifinal, sending them to today’s petite final that will determine seventh through 12th places.

The Huskies’ varsity eight and second varsity eight will also compete in petite finals today.