Colleges: CWU goes 1-2 to open tournament

TURLOCK, Calif. — Maria Gau’s masterful four-hitter got Central Washington started impressively during Friday’s Tournament of Champions fastpitch tournament, but the Wildcats were unable to follow their 3-1 win over Humboldt State with victories.

Central later lost 5-0 to UC San Diego and 5-4 to San Francisco State.

Gau struck out eight and walked none against Humboldt, improving her record to 6-8 as Cassi Ellis homered and drove in three runs. Ellis and Bre Thomas had three hits apiece.

UC San Diego, ranked 20th nationally, got a combined three-hitter from Michelle Escamilla and Camille Gaito and snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh. UCSD improved to 27-10.

Against San Francisco State, a five-run third inning was Central’s undoing. Gau was unable to complete the frame, allowing nine hits and five earned runs.

Heidy Wells homered for CWU while Ellis drove in two runs.

Central Washington 3, Humboldt State 1

Central Wash. 000 102 0 — 3 9 1
Humboldt State 000 000 1 — 1 4 1

Gau and Ellis; Castillo and Hiatt.

CWU highlights: Gau 8 Ks, 0 BB; Bre Thomas 3-4, 2b; Heidy Wells 1-3, run; Cassi Ellis 3-3, HR, 3 RBI.

UC San Diego 5, Central Washington 0

UC San Diego 000 002 3 — 5 7 0
Central Wash. 000 000 0 — 0 3 2

Escamilla, Gaito (6) and Brown; Wells, Smith (7) and Ellis.

CWU highlights: Jen Schwartz 2-3; Carinna Wagner 1-2.

San Fran. State 5, Central Washington 4

Central Wash. 200 002 0 — 4 6 0
SF State 005 000 x — 5 14 1

Gau, Kocik (3), Smith (6) and Ellis; Nakano, Ibarra (7) and Wermes.

CWU highlights: Wells 2-4, HR, RBI; Elena Carter 1-3; Natasha Wood 1-2; Ellis 1-3, 2 RBI.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

CWU swept at MSU Billings

BILLINGS, Mont. — Chris Hashimoto drove in four runs in the first game and Brandon Wang was 3 for 3 in the second, but Central Washington was nonetheless swept Friday by last-place Montana State Billings 11-10 and 4-2 in a GNAC baseball doubleheader.

Hashimoto hammered a game-tying, two-run double in the fourth inning and a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth.

But after CWU (5-5 GNAC, 9-13 overall) scored three times in the top of the ninth for a 10-7 lead in the opener, the Yellowjackets (3-5, 10-10) responded with a vengeance in the bottom of the inning.

Central did not record an out, and the game ended on a three-run homer by MSUB first baseman Blake Loran.

In the second game, three CWU errors led to three unearned runs and a 4-0 deficit after three innings.

The teams are scheduled to play another doubleheader starting today at noon.

Game 1

Central Wash. 000 223 003 — 10 12 1
MSU Billings 002 120 204 — 11 13 2

Long, Davidson (7), Cruzen (9) and Sani; Muller, Ragasa (6), Vincent (6), Smith (9) and Nelson.

CWU highlights: Derrick Webb 4-5, 2b; Brady Kincannon 2-5, 2 2b; Ethan Sterkel 2-4, 3 runs; Chris Hashimoto 2-4, 2b, HR, 4 RBI; Jimmy Ryerson 2 RBI.

Game 2

Central Wash. 000 010 1 — 2 7 3
MSU Billings 202 000 x — 4 8 3

Button and Swartz; Hutchings and Nelson.

CWU highlights: Brandon Wang 3-3, 2b, RBI; Kyle Sani 1-3, Brett Gray 1-3; Glen Reser 1-3, RBI.

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD

Central athletes lead at Western

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Central Washington’s Manny Melo compiled a 127-point decathlon lead and Tayler Fettig topped heptathlon standings after the first day of the Western Washington Multi-Events track and field meet Friday at Civic Stadium.

Melo, a junior from Battle Ground, led CWU athletes to a top-four ranking as teammates Brandon Roddewig, Andrew Venema — a junior from Bickleton — and Colin Alexander followed in order.

Fettig, a freshman from Olympia, held a 41-point advantage in the heptathlon over Western’s Brooklyn Holton.

Final events in both competitions will be held today.