Bulldogs open with pair of setbacks

The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a disappointing start in their season-opening baseball doubleheader Saturday, losing to Oregon State and Fresno State in Fresno, Calif.

Tyler Smith’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the 11th inning propelled the Oregon State Beavers to a 4-3 victory in the first game.

In the second game, the Fresno State Bulldogs used a seven-run first inning to cruise to a 10-4 win over the Zags.

“There were some positive things we saw today, but we failed to execute on both defense and offense when we really needed to,” Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf said.

Eric Lane homered for GU in the opener.

• The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (1-1) scored eight runs in the second inning and held off the Washington State Cougars 11-10 in nonconference play in Bakersfield, Calif.

The Cougars (1-1) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, sparked by Cody Bartlett’s RBI triple. But the lead lasted only an inning.

“When you score 10 runs, you should win,” WSU coach Donnie Marbut said. “However, the numbers were deceiving. We left a lot of runners on base.”

• The Whitworth Pirates (3-3) and Puget Sound Loggers (1-2) split a nonconference doubleheader in Tacoma, with the Loggers winning the opener 10-3 and the Pirates bouncing back to take the nightcap 11-10.

Tyler Pfeffer drove in five runs in the second game to lead Whitworth, while Nick Ashley went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Softball

The Whitworth Pirates dropped a pair of games at the Northwest Cup tournament in Clackamas, Ore.

Stephanie Nippert and Rachel Conard plated three runs apiece to propel the Corban Warriors (5-6) to a 15-5 victory in the first game. Caty Lieseke drove in two runs for the Pirates.

In the second game, Concordia Cavaliers All-America pitcher Renee Santos shut down the Pirates (1-3) en route to a 7-3 victory. Heather Hesselgesser had two hits in each game for Whitworth.

Track and field

The Washington State Cougars notched 10 wins during the second and final day of the WSU Open II Indoor meet in Pullman.

WSU women earning first-place finishes were: Chanel James (60-meter dash, 7.65 seconds); Cindy Robinson (200, 25.21); Ramon Morshead (3,000 run, 10:42.61); 4x400 relay team of Jalisa Williams, Courtney Zalud, James, and Veronica Elseroad-Wall (3:55.20); Christine Rice (high jump, 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches); Bianca Walton (triple jump, 37-10 1/2).

Washington State men’s winners were: Rashaun Johnson (200, 22.05); J Hopkins (400, 50.79); Andrew Gonzalez (mile, 4:14.83); Ross VanZanten (high jump, 6-7).

Whitworth’s Tonya Turner and Dana Misterek finished 1-2 in the women’s mile run. Turner won with a time of 5:09.09, while Misterek crossed in 5:16.86.

Jeremy Klas set an Idaho Vandals school record in the pole vault, clearing 17-9.

Idaho’s Liga Velver won the women’s 400 in 56.16. Eugenio Mannucci won the men’s shot put with a throw of 57-6 1/2 , while Jeff Aronson won the men’s long jump with a leap of 21-1.

Kristine Leonard was first in the women’s shot put (45-3 1/2).