San Diego State sent James McLaughlin to the mound in yesterday's Mountain West Conference Tournament opener against UNLV, and the junior right-hander responded with his best game of the season.

SDSU's offense was far less responsive, however, in a 6-2 loss at TCU's Lupton Stadium that leaves the Aztecs one loss away from calling it a season.

The Aztecs (30-27) play BYU (22-35) this morning at 9 (San Diego time) in an elimination game.

Utah's Brian Budrow pitched a five-hitter in a 9-3 win that sent the Cougars to the losers' bracket.

McLaughlin (3-2) allowed five hits and struck out six in 8 2/3 innings. He held UNLV (22-35) hitless through five innings, a hit batter accounting for the only Rebels baserunner.

McLaughlin was still on the mound with the score 2-2 in the ninth when UNLV loaded the bases with two outs.

The Rebels then scored two runs on a bloop single by Braden Walker and added two unearned runs when SDSU left fielder Brandon Decker dropped a fly ball for an error.

The Aztecs squandered several early scoring opportunities. They advanced runners to second base in four of the first five innings but were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Third baseman Nick Romero's solo homer in the sixth accounted for SDSU's first run. Romero, who was 4-for-4, also scored in the eighth on a single by Brandon Glover.

– KIRK KENNEY

Women's golf

Cal State San Marcos got off to a big start as host of the NAIA Women's Golf National Championships.

Led by the 3-over-par 75 posted by sophomore Natalie Todd, the 11th-ranked Cougars shot a team score of 23-over 311 at Lake San Marcos Country Club and are in first place after the first of four rounds. They are five shots ahead of Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), and seven clear of three-time defending champion Oklahoma City.

It is a far better start than CSUSM had last year in its first time hosting the event. The Cougars opened by falling 10 shots off the lead of Oklahoma City and British Columbia, and eventually finished tied for ninth.

Todd is in a four-way tie for third, two shots behind leader Katina Ruest of Savannah College of Art and Design and one back of Rocky Mountain's Rachel Warren.

Region II individual champion Carly Ludwig and Adriana Bormann each shot 78 for the Cougars and are tied for 11th. Ellyse Siu of CSUSM scored 80 to tie for 25th.

– TOD LEONARD

Softball

PLNU won both of its games at the NAIA National Tournament in Decatur, Ala., beating Saint Gregory's (Okla.) 2-1 behind the three-hit pitching of Melissa Gomez, and then defeating Golden State Athletic Conference foe Cal Baptist 8-5 in eight innings with Gomez (20-4) getting her second win of the day.

The Sea Lions (50-11) will play Lubbock Christian (67-9) today in the championship bracket of the double-elimination event.

Track and field

UCSD's Darcy Ahner and Whitney Johnson have been named the Division II West Region Coach of the Year and Field Event Athlete of the Year, respectively, by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.