Washington softball completes three-game sweep of New Mexico

Northwest |

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Washington softball team enjoyed another mercy-rule victory, completing a sweep of New Mexico with a 12-3, six-inning victory on Sunday afternoon. The Huskies improved to 16-0 with the victory.

"We played consistently well this weekend against a scrappy New Mexico team," coach Heather Tarr said. "Jenna Clifton was impressive in the circle for us today, as was our offense."

Washington scored four runs in the first inning, led by Jenn Salling's second home run in as many days, and the rout was on.

Clifton pitched 2-2/3 innings in relief, allowing one earned run with one strikeout while improving to 2-0.

Falcons men, women set for NCAAs

The Seattle Pacific men's basketball team drew the No. 8 seed in the West Region and will face host and top-seeded Central Washington in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament.

The Falcons (19-9), making their seventh straight NCAA appearance, play the Wildcats (26-3) at 8 p.m. Friday. The Wildcats won both regular-season meetings, defeating SPU 72-68 on Jan. 13 in Seattle and 63-53 on Feb. 9 in Ellensburg.

SPU has won just twice in its last 11 meetings with Central and has lost in its last five visits to Ellensburg.

In the women's NCAA tournament, Seattle Pacific was seeded seventh and will have a first-round meeting with No. 2 Grand Canyon at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Walnut, Calif.

The Falcons (20-8), who lost a tough 74-69 decision to the Antelopes on Dec. 3, are the defending West Region champions and have played in the regional title game three straight years.

Western Washington is seeded fourth in the regional, meeting No. 5 Alaska Anchorage at 5:30 p.m. Friday in a rematch of last weekend's GNAC tournament title game won by the Seawolves.

Other men's basketball

Top-ranked Whitworth will face Marietta College at 2:30 p.m. PST Friday in Wooster, Ohio, in the sectional semifinals of the NCAA Division III tournament. The Pirates (27-1) are making their third NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in the last four years.

Baseball

Seafth Howe allowed four hits and three walks in six innings, and Matt Comer drove in three runs for Seattle University (6-4) in a 12-2 victory over Portland at Bellevue's Bannerwood Park. Doug Kincaid was 3 for 4 with three runs scored for the Redhawks, who have won two straight series.

• South Alabama collected 25 hits and defeated Washington State 14-3 in the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis. Matt Argyropoulos, Jay Ponciano and Trace Tam Sing had two hits apiece for the Cougars (5-3), who lost their second straight game.

• Tyler Olson threw a one-hit complete game with 10 strikeouts for Gonzaga (4-5), which capped a three-game sweep of the University of the Pacific with a 4-0 victory in Stockton, Calif.

Other softball

Seattle University (1-15) dropped a pair of games at the Boise State Invitational, falling 8-7 in extra innings to Southern Utah, then 8-0 to the host Broncos.

• Western Washington's Erika Quint tossed a three-hit shutout in the first game, and Jenna DeRosier provided a solid relief effort in the second contest as the No. 23 Vikings (9-0, 4-0 GNAC) swept a second straight doubleheader from Saint Martin's, 2-0 and 8-7, in Lacey.

• Carrina Wagner homered in each game, and Lauren Hadenfeld struck out seven and tossed a three-hit, five-inning shutout as Central Washington (5-4, 3-1 GNAC) swept Montana State Billings, 8-0 and 9-6, at Carlon Park in Selah.

Men's tennis

Washington rolled past St. Mary's 7-0 at Nordstrom Tennis Center. It was the third sweep in a row for the 23rd-ranked Huskies. The Huskies, who did not drop a set in singles or doubles, got the clinching point from Kyle McMorrow at No. 2 singles, a 6-2, 6-1 win over Lucas Tirelli.

Compiled from sports-information reports and other sources.