Conley, Cougs open with win

Junior Adam Conley struck out a career-high nine batters in eight innings and Washington State (1-0) opened the season with a 4-2 victory over Cal State Bakersfield (0-1) in nonconference action Friday in Bakersfield, Calif.

Conley carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning for the Cougars, finishing with only four hits and two runs allowed to earn the win.

CSB starter Tommy Hoenshell held the shutout intact for the Roadrunners through three innings, but WSU struck for one in the fourth on an RBI-single by Matt Argyropoulos.

• Gonzaga had its season opener pushed back a day after its scheduled game with Fresno State was rained out in Fresno, Calif. Gonzaga will attempt to play two games today.

Softball

Julia Johnson swatted a pinch-hit, walkoff home run to lift Whitworth (1-1) to a 6-5 eight-inning win over College of Idaho (4-4) in the Pirates’ second game at the Northwest Cup tournament in Clackamas, Ore. The Pirates opened the day with a 3-2 loss to Oregon Tech (3-2).

• Desirae Tinoco went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Kelsey LaVaute homered and added a pair of RBIs as North Idaho (12-10, 7-6 Scenic West Athletic Conference) won 10-6 in its opener against Snow (4-3, 4-3) in Ephraim, Utah. NIC won 12-2, 11-3 in the next two games to earn the sweep.

Track and field

Washington State’s Cassie Whitfield won the women’s 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 58 feet, 4 ½ inches at the WSU Open II indoor meet in Pullman.

Competing unattached, Jordan Arakawa of Eastern Washington took first in the men’s 35-pound weight throw, tossing a distance of 53-11 ¼.

Football

The Spokane Shock announced the signing of defensive lineman Louis Holmes for the upcoming season. Holmes spent the last two years in the UFL with the Sacramento Mountain Lions, recording 12 tackles and three forced fumbles in eight games.

Holmes previously played in the NFL with Tampa Bay and San Francisco and played two years of college ball at Arizona.