Bulldogs romp in WCC opener

Ryan Carpenter survived a shaky start and got 14-hit backing to pitch Gonzaga University to a 10-2 victory over defending champion San Diego in a West Coast Conference opener Friday night at Patterson Baseball Complex at GU.

San Diego (7-20, 0-1 WCC) got to Carpenter (4-1) for runs in the first and third innings before he strung zeros his last four innings to win his fourth straight start. He struck out nine. Mark Phillips and Kenny Smith finished up.

Meanwhile, GU (17-9-1, 1-0), ranked 24th by Collegiate Baseball, took almost-immediate control. Marco Gonzales delivered a two-run single to highlight a three-run first inning and the Bulldogs were ahead to stay.

Gonzales had a 4-for-5 game while Billy Moon, who was 2 for 4, and Cameron Edman, 2 for 3, also each drove in two runs. Moon’s came on a triple in the seventh. Royce Bolinger extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

• UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole outdueled Washington State southpaw Adam Conley to lead the Bruins, ranked 24th by Baseball America, to a 3-1 Pac-10 victory over the Cougars at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman.

In securing his third straight league win, Cole (4-2) limited WSU (12-13, 1-6 Pac-10) to five hits and an unearned run. He struck out seven.

Conley (4-3) allowed nine hits in going the distance, but the Bruins (15-10, 6-1) put together three of the hits in a three-run third.

Chris Giovinazzo had a run-scoring double and Dean Espy highlighted a 2-for-4 day with a two-run double in the inning.

WSU parlayed Brett Jacobs’ leadoff double with a UCLA error and Taylor Ard’s infield out for its run in the fourth inning.

• Ty Afenir had a two-out, run scoring single in the top of the 14th to give Washington (8-19, 1-3 Pac-10) a 4-3 win at Oregon (14-13, 0-4).

Softball

Community Colleges of Spokane unloaded 17 hits to back the pitching of Dani Johnson and sweep an NWAACC East Region doubleheader from visiting Yakima Valley, 11-5 and 4-0.

Janelle Spear was 3 for 4 with a grand slam, a double and six RBIs and Johnson limited the Yaks to four hits in the first-game win.

Mead grads Breanna Lookabill and Regin Gallagher were each 2 for 3 and Johnson pitched a four-hitter in the second game. CCS is 9-10, 6-4 NWAACC and Yakima is 9-11, 2-7.

• Desirae Tinoco slugged a three-run, third-inning home run to boost North Idaho College to a 7-2 win over Snow in Coeur d’Alene after the Cardinals dropped the opener of the SWAC doubleheader 5-1.

Blake Meredith (Post Falls) had a 4-for-6 day with a double and three RBIs and was the winning pitcher in the second game for the Cardinals (24-20, 15-16 SWAC). Allee Carter had a double and home run and three RBIs and Abbi Lewis drove in two runs for Snow (13-15, 13-15) in the opener.

• Jolene Henderson (22-4) pitched a three hitter and three Bears hit home runs as California (24-6, 2-2 Pac-10) dropped a 10-0 Pac-10 Conference loss on Washington (27-4, 2-2) in five innings in Seattle. Kimi Pohlman had two hits for the Huskies, one a double.

Arena football

The Spokane Shock may have a bye this week, but it doesn’t mean the AFL team wasn’t active.

Linebacker Beau Bell and defensive lineman Jonathan Williams were activated from injured reserve while wide receiver/linebacker Chris Hemphill was placed on re-assignment.

Outdoors

 A controversial proposal by a Stevens County sportsmen’s group for deer antler point restrictions, debated for more than a year at public meetings, was approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission during its meeting in Olympia.

 Starting this fall, whitetail bucks in Game Management Units 117 and 121 must have at least four antler points on one side to be legal game for hunters.