Baseball | 4/8/2009 7:03:56 PM
Box Score [Game 1: Box score] [Game 2: Box score] [Previously suspended game: Box score]
LACEY, Wash. - Western Oregon took three games from Saint Martin's Wednesday (Apr. 8) to extend its lead in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to six-and-a-half games. The teams first completed their suspended game from Mar. 14 with WOU winning 7-4 before the next two games of the doubleheader 5-1 and 7-1.
The Wolves are now 21-7 on the season and 14-1 in the GNAC as the Saints fell to 14-19 with a 7-8 mark in conference.
Suspended game
The first four batters in the 13th inning reached base and Bill Clontz delivered the go-ahead two-run single as Western Oregon captured the suspended game 7-4 (originally scheduled for Mar. 14).
Renander led off the 13th inning with a single before Travis Fox reached on an error and JJ Mascolo on a bunt bringing Clontz to the plate with the bases loaded. He singled to center field driving in Renander and Fox. The Wolves then added one in the inning as Kyle Boe singled to score Mascolo.
Jesse Nunley earned his fourth win of the season in relief as he pitched the final 3.2 innings allowing four hits and no runs while striking out three.
The game originally was sent to extra innings by Jason Moseby in the top of the ninth as he doubled home Taylor Mieras to tie the game at 3-3.
Blake Keitzman started the game for the Wolves and went 7.1 innings allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out a season-high 11.
Boe and Clontz both went 4-for-7 in the game as Boe collected three RBI and Clontz two.
Game 1
Blake Keitzman went six innings allowing just one run and five hits while striking out five and walking three as Western Oregon won game one of the doubleheader 5-1.
Jason Moseby was 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. JJ Mascolo, Travis Fox and Justin Speer added two hits apiece as WOU outhit SMU 13-7.
Western Oregon built a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning as it put up single runs in the second, fourth and fifth to go along with two in the third. The Wolves kept constant pressure on the Saints' pitchers throughout the contest as it put two or more runners on base in seven of the nine innings.
Brad Carter would earn the save as he relieved Keitzman for the final three innings and allow just two hits to secure the win for the Wolves.
"Our pitching was outstanding," said Western Oregon head coach Jeremiah Robbins. "Our pitchers are beginning to get their feel on the mound and gain confidence."
Game 2
Kirk Lind was dominant in his second straight start as he went seven innings giving up three hits and one run while walking three and striking out five to lift Western Oregon to a 7-1 win in game two.
Drew Humphrey got his first start of this season, as he is coming back from injuries, and went 4-for-4 with six RBI and a triple. JJ Mascolo was also perfect at the plate as he went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored.
Humphrey got the Wolves on the board in the first with a two-run triple to left field. He got two more RBI in the fifth inning as he singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Justin Speer and Eric Renander. In the seventh inning, he once again singled to plate two more runs as WOU went in front 7-0.
SMU had just one hit going into their half of the seventh inning before getting two hits in the bottom part inning to push across a run and break up the shutout. WOU put 14 runners on base during the game compared to just six for Saint Martin's. The Wolves 2-4 hitters combined to score six runs despite collectively going 2-for-8 at the dish.
"Whatever it takes to get a win we will take it," Robbins explained. "There is some great baseball played in the west region but if we keep our focus good things can happen for this team."
Next games
The Western Oregon baseball team will now head to Lewiston, Idaho for a three-game series with perennial NAIA powerhouse Lewis-Clark State. The teams will play a single game Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
