Doucette helps Linfield reach NCAA-III nationals

Staci Doucette, the two-time Northwest Conference Player of the Year, and the Linfield College softball team captured the NCAA Division III Indianola Regional tournament in Iowa, advancing to this week’s national championships.

Doucette, an Evergreen High School graduate, was named to the All-Regional team after the Wildcats improved to 39-5 with victories over the University of Chicago (13-5), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (10-3) and St. Thomas (9-1) followed by another win over St. Thomas, 3-1, in the regional title game Sunday.

Doucette’s two-run single in the fifth inning ended the Chicago game by mercy rule. She homered twice against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, then twice again against St. Thomas on Saturday, including a three-run blast that broke open a 1-all game. In the title game against St. Thomas, Doucette was on base for Karleigh Prestianni’s two-run homer that broke a 1-all tie in the sixth inning.

Concordia opens the eight-team double-elimination national tournament Friday against Luther (41-5). Other quarterfinals: DePauw (39-7) vs. Ithaca (33-13), Eastern Connecticut State (36-4-1) vs. Christopher Newport (40-8) and East Texas Baptist (36-12) against Moravian (34-13).

The championship game is Monday, or Tuesday if a second title game is necessary.

Concordia softball headed to nationals

Three Clark County products helped the Concordia University softball team advace to this week’s 30th Annual NAIA Softball National Championship tournament.

After dropping the first game of the best-of-three championship series at the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament at Delta Park in Portland, 5-1, the Cavaliers twice rallied the next day to beat the Warriors and claim the automatic trip to nationals.

Mallory Callahan, a Hudson’s Bay High School graduate and First Team All-CCC outfielder, drove in three runs in Concordia’s 4-3 win. The Cavaliers spotted Corban a run in the deciding game before pounding out 17 hits in an 8-1 victory for the title.

Also starting for the Cavaliers are catcher/designated hitter Courtney Wooden and Laura Thorp, who plays third base. Both are Skyview High School graduates.

Concordia is in Pool C of the 32-team national tournament, today through Wednesday in Decatur, Ala. The Cavaliers (34-5) will face Simon Fraser (21-14), Lindsey Wilson (45-13) and Bellevue (32-14) in pool play. Each of the eight pool winners advance to a double-elimination bracket, with play beginning Monday.

CWU falls just short of softball nationals

Central Washington worked through the consolation bracket of their NCAA Division II softball regional tournament in Kaneohe, Hawai’i, forcing the “if necessary” second championship game with a 3-2 win in nine innings over Hawai’i Pacific before a 1-0 loss ended the Wildcats’ year.

Evergreen High School gradaute Lauren Hadenfeld pitched a one-hitter in the first title game. The junior, a Great Northwest Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, allowed a one-out walk and consecutive singles in the first inning of the second game for the only run. The Wildcats won 22 of their final 27 games, claiming the GNAC championship and finishing 40-15.

Hadenfeld, a junior, was 24-6 with a 2.26 ERA, 207 strikeouts and 43 walks.

Breihof, Porter win GNAC distance titles

Western Washington distance runners Lauren Breihof and Sarah Porter claimed titles in the 10,000 and 5,000 meters, respectively, at last weekend’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Monmouth, Ore.

Breihof, a Mountain View High School graduate, and Porter, a Hockinson High School graduate, each set GNAC championship meet records in those events.

Breihof, already a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II nationals, won the 10,000 in a meet record time of 36 minutes, 16.89 seconds.

Breihof broke the GNAC championships record of 36:31.85 set by Porter in 2008.

Porter, a junior, had a winning time of 16:39.39 — an automatic qualifier for the NCAA-II outdoor championships. Mandy Kaempf of Alaska Anchorage set the previous GNAC championships record of 17:24.11 in 2006.

Breihof was also third in the 5,000 and Porter finished third in the 10,000.

The Vikings placed second in the team standings.

Porter has been announced in the field for both the 5,000 and 10,000 at nationals, May 27-29 at Charlotte, N.C.

SPU’s Alvarez wins GNAC triple jump

Seattle Pacific University freshman Amanda Alvarez won the triple jump at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend in Monmouth, Ore.

The Columbia River High School graduate’s winning mark was 39-1¼. Her twin sister Athena Alvarez placed eighth at 36-7¾, earning one team point. Amanda also placed fourth in the long jump at 17-9½. Athena was 15th.

The Falcons won the GNAC team championship. Amanda Alvarez is the No. 8 seed in the triple jump for NCAA-II outdoor nationals.

Voelz named PCSC All-Coastal pitcher

Sacramento State sophomore pitcher Shelby Voelz was named to the Pacific Coast Softball Conference’s All-Coastal Division First Team.

The Hudson’s Bay High School graduate finished the season with an 11-16 record and a 2.98 ERA. She was 6-3 with a 1.58 ERA against conference competition.

Voelz led the Hornets’ pitching staff in wins (11), appearances (30), starts (23), complete games (20), shutouts (5), innings (164.1), strikeouts (118) and opponents batting average (.256). She threw five shutouts, once carrying a no-hitter for 6⅓ innings.

EWU’s Wall wins 400 at Big Sky meet

Eastern Washington sophomore Brad Wall won the 400 meters at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held Friday in Ogden, Utah.

The Evergreen High School graduate’s winning time of 46.67 seconds broke the EWU school record of 47.05 set in 1988 by Hogan Wrixon.

Wall was also seventh in the 200, in 21.96 seconds.

Clark honors pair

Track and field participant Tyler Lane and softball player Lindsay Sasse have been named Athletes of the Month for April by Clark College.

Skyview High School graduate Lane is leading the Penguins in jumping events, and has the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges lead in the high jump by six inches, at 6-9. He is ranked third in the region in the long jump, and runs in the 400-meter relay.

Union High School graduate Sasse is primarily an outfielder, but also filled in as a starting pitcher early in the season, collecting three wins while batting .312 with 10 RBI.

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