Area sports: Gonzaga beats San Diego 8-4 to win West Coast Conference baseball title

Enzo Apodaca hit a two-run single to add onto a San Diego pitching meltdown in the sixth inning and lift visiting Gonzaga over the Torreros 8-4 on Friday to win the West Coast Conference regular-season title.

The Bulldogs (33-14, 19-6 WCC) loaded the bases with singles from Shea Kramer and Grayson Sterling before San Diego’s Ian Churchill gifted the go-ahead runs on a hit by pitch and a wild pitch in succession.

Gonzaga’s Gabriel Hughes threw 82/3 innings with 139 pitches, allowing four runs on seven hits.

The Bulldogs will close their regular season Saturday with a doubleheader against the Torreros (31-17, 16-9).

Gonzaga has the top seed in the WCC Tournament and will play at 3 p.m. Thursday against the lowest advancing seed.

Washington State 10, Arizona State 6: Jake Van De Brake hit a grand slam, Caden Kaelber pitched 31/3 scoreless innings to earn the save and the Cougars (26-26, 11-18 Pac-12) beat the Sun Devils (25-29, 13-16) in Pullman to win their last series of the season.

Already eliminated from the Pac-12 Tournament contention, WSU’s back-to-back wins over ASU have kept the Sun Devils a game behind Washington at seventh in the conference standings. The Cougars’ season finale is Saturday at noon.

Softball

North Idaho bowed out of the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships after splitting a pair of loser-out games at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex.

The Cardinals (31-17) beat Chemeketa 14-4, led by Kahlea Dumas’ two doubles and two RBIs, before losing to Everett 11-9.

NIC’s Addison Ribordy hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinals’ next two batters went down in succession, ending the rally and their season.