Baseball | 5/13/2011 7:28:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 [Game 1 box score] [Game 2 box score]

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Pitching in your last home game can bring a variety of emotions flooding to someone's mind. Some seem to wilt under the internal pressure, other rise to meet the challenge.

This was the case today when Western Oregon senior pitchers Michael Ward and Cam Nobles channeled their emotions and combined to hold MSU Billings to five hits in 16 innings, as WOU swept the doubleheader, 2-1 and 8-2.

The Wolves (35-13, 25-5 GNAC), who have already clinched their 10th straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship, have now won 19 of their last 21 games. The losses dropped MSU Billings to 18-27 on the season and 9-21 in the GNAC.

Game 1
Michael Ward struck out nine Yellowjackets while allowing just one hit and one unearned run to pick up the 2-1 win in opener. The win was the 24th of Ward's career, moving him into second place in Western Oregon history.

His counterpart, Kody Kennedy, nearly matched Ward pitch-for-pitch. He gave up two hits and two runs while striking out seven. The two hits by the Wolves and the one by the Yellowjackets were the lowest combined total in the history of the GNAC.

Kennedy's undoing was issuing free passes to start the third and the fifth. Both innings the Wolves would score without the benefit of a hit. In the third, after Josh Solemsaas reached on a walk, Glover sacrificed him to second and he went to third on a wild pitch. Headrick then knocked him in with a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Wolves on the board.

Western also would manufacture its run in the fifth to take back the lead after MSU Billings had tied it in the fourth. Steve Ockerman started the inning off by reaching base on a hit by pitch on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. He then stole second and Solemsaas sacrifriced him to third. It was then Glover's turn to drive the ball to the outfield and bring home the runner from third and put WOU in front 2-1.

With the lead regained Ward took control. He dominated the Yellowjackets over the final five innings, as he set down 16 of the final 17 hitters, with the only runner reaching base following strikeout the went for a wild pitch.

Game 2
Cam Nobles earned the win in game two as he hurled a complete game. He gave up four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out six to move to 7-3 on the season.

The Wolves where able to push eight runs across with the benefit of only five hits. Miles Kizer drove in three of the runs despite getting a hit.

Two of Kizer's RBI scored on one of the most interesting plays of the season for the Wolves, which gave them the lead and seemed to leave the Yellowjackets stunned. With the scored tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, Headrick singled to lead off the inning and then Dillard walked. After Justin Peterson grounded to the right side to advance both runners, Kizer dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards first base on the first pitch of the at-bat. His suicide squeeze bunt allowed Headrick to score nearly before Kizer was out of the box, and as the Yellowjackets' first baseman came into to field the ball Dillard, who had started the at-bat at second base, beat the throw home to give Kizer a two-run bunt.

AJ Royal was the only Wolf to record a two hit game. Kizer also added a steal of home to his stat line and Dillard scored two runs.

Next games
These teams will meet again tomorrow to wrap up the regular season. First pitch is schedule for noon with the Senior Day ceremonies taking place between games.