College softball: CC Spokane, North Idaho start 1-1 at NWAC Championships

Community Colleges of Spokane and North Idaho had similar outcomes during the first day of the Northwest Athletic Conference softball championships at Delta Park in Portland.

Both teams won their openers before losing in the quarterfinals.

CCS (29-19) started with a 7-0 win over Southwestern Oregon as Michele Strauss pitched a one-hitter, striking out 10 and overcoming seven walks. Josie Schultz’s bases-clearing double highlighted the Sasquatch’s six-run fourth.

CCS dropped a 2-0 decision to Douglas (27-6) as Keeley Ainge pitched a two-hitter.

North Idaho also split two games, losing to Centralia 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Centralia (31-11) blanked the Cardinals until the seventh, when Jamie Yurick had a one-out RBI double and scored on Lexi Courtney’s two-out single.

The Cardinals (34-12) opened with a five-inning 8-0 win over Shoreline (16-18) as Katie Barron pitched one-hit ball for four innings. Barron also had a two-run, ground-rule double and scored on Emma Lallas’ two-run single during NIC’s seven-run fourth.

Both teams play loser-out games at 10 a.m. Saturday. CCS will meet Wenatchee Valley and NIC will play Walla Walla.

NCAA regional

Washington 14, Weber State 6: Julia DePonte finished 4 for 4 with four RBIs as the host Huskies (37-13) rallied for win over the Wildcats (37-18)

The Huskies trailed 4-3 before Kimberlee Souza and DePonte had two-run doubles in the second. Ali Aguilar added a three-run double in the third.

UW will meet Minnesota (42-12) at 1 p.m. Saturday for a spot in Sunday’s final round. Weber State will play North Dakota State (38-14) at 3:30 in a loser-out game.