A former Lower Columbia College pitcher, an ex-Mark Morris High standout and the LCC pitching coach all had key roles as the Wenatchee Apple Sox won its third West Coast League title in the past five seasons.

Wenatchee, which won the Eastern Division title with a 34-14 record, went on to sweep its division series with Kelowna, British Columbia, and swept the league championship series with the Corvallis Knights, culminating with a 4-2 victory at Goss Stadium on the Oregon State University campus.

Wenatchee’s sweep of Corvallis avenged its 2008 championship series loss to Corvallis when the Knights swept the Apple Sox.

During the series-clinching game, former Mark Morris High and current Oregon State University player Ryan Gorton pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Apple Sox.

“I never say no to excitement,” Gorton told the Wenatchee World newspaper, after pitching in front of his hometown fans at Oregon State. “What better way to win, than holding on by the skin of your teeth like that.”

Ex-LCC pitcher Chad Wagner, who is entering his senior season at Hawaii Pacific University, finished the summer with a 3-0 record with 1.61 earned run average. Wagner worked under the tutelage of LCC pitching coach Rob Hippi, who served as the Apple Sox pitching coach for the second straight year.

In addition, Wagner and another ex-LCC player, Sean Winston, were named to the All-West Coast League team. Winston, who will also be a senior at Hawaii Pacific, hit .273 with 23 RBIs for the Spokane RiverHawks. He also stole 7-of-10 bases and was hit by 10 pitches.

Pitchers King, Speigner sign 4-year college deals

Lower Columbia College pitchers Nathan King and Derek Speigner have opted to sign four-year collegiate letters of intent after successful stints in summer league play.

King signed with the North Carolina State Wolfpack, while Speigner has inked with the University of California-Riverside.

King, a left-hander from Vancouver’s Skyview High, had a 5-2 record with a 2.31 earned run average last season at LCC, and went 2-3 with a 4.83 earned run average with the Slippery Rock Sliders of the Prospect Collegiate League.

Speigner, who had a 0-0 record with a 1.02 ERA as a Red Devil reliever, pitched for the Midnight Sun Goldpanners team from Alaska. The squad was a 50th anniversary team that branched off from the Alaska Goldpanners and spent the summer touring the country playing games.

Owen signs with UGF

Former LCC outfielder Anna Owen, who helped the Lady Devils to consecutive Southern Division softball titles and the NWAACC crown in 2008, has signed a letter of intent to play softball at the University of Great Falls in Montana.

UGF is an NAIA school competing in the Frontier Conference.

“The University of Great Falls was just the school I was looking for,” Owen said in a story on the school’s Web site. “It’s a small school with excellent educational programs and a caring staff. UGF is always there for the students and wants to see each student succeed.”

Owen hit a composite .374 with six home runs and 31 RBIs in her two seasons at LCC. A 2007 Kelso High graduate, she earned all-Greater St. Helens League honors in each of her four years with the Lassies.

“We’re very excited to finally sign a player from (LCC head coach) Tim Mackin’s highly regarded program, and Anna appears to be a great fit for our team,” Argos coach Gary Ehnes said.

Owen plans to study biology for a career in the medical field.

Around the NWAACC

Kelso’s Travis Kohler has signed a letter of intent to play men’s golf at Grays Harbor College. Kohler, who earned all-Greater St. Helens 4A League honors, won the Class 4A District Championships in a sudden-death playoff.

Rick McCorkle is a sportswriter for The Daily News. He can be reached at 577-2529 or rmccorkle@tdn.com