Area roundup: Washington State distance runners Chandler Teigen, Kaili Keefe qualify for NCAA Championships

Washington State 1,500-meter runners Chandler Teigen and Kaili Keefe qualified for the NCAA Championships Saturday during the third and final day of the NCAA West Regional track and field meet in Sacramento, California.

Teigen, a junior, finished the men’s race in 3 minutes, 43.41 seconds, just off his best time of 3:43.13, set at the Stanford Invitational this spring.

Keefe, a sophomore, ran 4:16.57 in the women’s event. Her time was 4 seconds faster than her previous best and ranks second in program history.

The NCAA Championships begin June 6 in Eugene.

For Idaho, Zachary Short (58-7 1/4) placed 24th in men’s shot put and Austin Beyer (205-4) placed 25th in men’s javelin.

Eastern Washington’s Keshun McGee placed 33rd in the men’s triple jump at 49-2 1/4.

• Whitworth’s Kayla Leland (3,000 steeplechase) and Kayla Brase (triple jump) picked up second-place finishes during the final day of the NCAA Division III Championships in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Leland led the 3,000 steeplechase until the final sprint, when Annie Rodenfels of Centre (Kentucky) College edged ahead. Rodenfels finished in 10:15.75 and Leland ran 10:16.54 for a school and Northwest Conference record. Pirates teammate Marissa Mount (10:24.65) placed fourth. Brase jumped 39-8 3/4 to trail only Taylor Driggers (41-2 1/2) of UMass-Boston. Brase took the lead with her third jump, but Driggers cleared 40 feet on her fifth attempt. The Pirates women scored 24 points to tie for ninth place.

Baseball

Utah 12, Washington State 11: Erick Migueles snapped a 9-all tie with a three-run homer in the eighth and the Utes (16-39, 8-22 Pac-12) held off the host Cougars (16-33-1, 8-21-1) at Bailey-Brayton Field in the final game for both.

WSU loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Utah closer Trenton Stoltz coaxed a 4-6-1 double play.

The Cougars fought back from a 7-2 fifth-inning deficit and gained a 9-all tie on Blake Clanton’s RBI single in the seventh. Clanton and Justin Harrer had two RBIs apiece during the comeback.

(3) Stanford 6, Washington 5: Will Matthiessen hit a two-run homer in the ninth to tie the score, and Nico Hoerner beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run as the Cardinal (44-10, 22-8) clinched the Pac-12 title by rallying past the Huskies (30-23, 20-10) in Seattle.

UW’s Nick Kahle doubled with two outs in the ninth, but Jack Little (3-0) ended the threat with a strikeout.

Stanford is expected to receive a nod when the 16 NCAA regional hosts are announced Sunday. The Huskies, who were three outs away from their first conference title in 20 years, will learn Monday if they’ve made the NCAA field.

CC Spokane 2, Lane 1: Cory Wagner pitched eight solid innings and Gabe Martin scored the winning run in the ninth as the Sasquatch (37-15) eliminated the Titans (25-27) at the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Longview, Washington.

Wagner, who earned his 10th win, scattered nine hits and allowed one earned run, on Jackson Soto’s game-tying homer in the eighth.

CCS’ Aaron Fritts singled to lead off the eighth, stole second base and scored on a fielder’s choice to snap a scoreless tie.

Reed Harrington earned hist 10th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Sasquatch will meet Yakima Valley (43-10) at 12:05 p.m. Sunday in another loser-out game.

Softball

Washington 6, Alabama 0: Taran Alvelo pitched a three-hitter, and Taylor Van Zee and Noelle Hee hit solo homers as the Huskies (49-8) qualified for the Women’s College World Series by eliminating the Crimson Tide (36-20) during Super Regional play in Seattle.

Alvelo struck out eight, walked none and allowed no extra-base hits.

Van Zee led off the game with a homer to right-center. Hee homered to left-center in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

The CWS begins Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Woman’s rowing

Washington State placed 14th and Gonzaga finished in 18th as the NCAA Championships, a scheduled three-day event, wrapped up one day early with thunderstorms looming in Sarasota, Florida.

The Cougars, competing in their sixth consecutive championship, scored 57 points and GU totaled 30. Champion California (130 points) held off Washington (128).

WSU’s varsity four placed 11th overall, timing 7 minutes, 25.947 seconds in the A/B Petite Final. The Cougars’ varsity eight placed 14th, finishing its C Final in 6 minutes, 32.274 seconds.

Gonzaga posted its third-best finish at the event. The Zags’ varsity eight led the way, placing 17th after finishing in 6:42.241 in the C Final.