Baseball | 2/10/2012 5:47:00 PM

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

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - If you would have asked Jeremiah Robbins 10 days ago if he would have been happy with a 7-2 road trip to California, he would have said 'no, I want to be 9-0', however, considering the Western Oregon baseball team won seven of nine games against some of the best opposition in the West Region, Robbins will probably at least be slightly satisfied.

Today the Wolves came out and earned a doubleheader split with an 8-5 loss in game one and a 6-1 win in game two to improve to 7-2 on the year, and match their best start since 2005. The split drops Sonoma State to 2-4 on the season.

Game 1
Western Oregon was finally dealt a taste of its own medicine as Sonoma State's Harmen Sidhu threw six innings of shutout baseball while allowing two hits and striking out seven to help SSU win its only game of the series 8-5.

The Seawolves would score seven runs in the third, on eight hits, to take an 8-0 lead. The Wolves would answer back with two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to cut it to 8-5. WOU would have the chance to tie the game in the ninth. After rallying for those three runs, Western Oregon would still have two runners on but the Seawolves' Mike Garber got the strike out to end the game.

Jackson Stogner and Devon Zenn had two RBI apiece to lead Sonoma State. David Amberson was 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored to lead WOU.

"We ran into a very good arm today," said Western Oregon head coach Jeremiah Robbins. "Sidhu has velocity and command, and he was lights out today. He was one of the better arms we've seen on our trip."

Game 2
AJ Burke (1-0) is starting to develop a flare of coming up big in the final game of series. After closing out the final game against UCSD, after he came into the game with the tying runs on base and nobody out, Burke got the starting nod today and went six innings, allowing four hits and only run while striking out four to lift WOU to the 6-1 win.

"AJ is one of the big arms we got to Western Oregon in the offseason," Robbins explained. "He is competitive and throws strikes. He has accepted his role on this team of a spot starter, and this was a phenomenal effort from him in a big game early in the season."

This was the fourth game in the series that a Wolves' starter had pitched at least six innings and allowed one run or less.

The Wolves' offense provided Burke with six runs, three thanks to Seawolves' errors. WOU got three runs in the third on RBI singles by Blake Miller and Matt Nylen, and an error by the SSU third baseman.

Western Oregon added an insurance run in the fourth on an RBI knock by Michael Gange, and two more in the sixth on a wild pitch and a throwing error.

Gange finished the game 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Blackwell and David Amberson provided two hits apiece, while Blackwell also crossed the plate twice.

Tyson Flannery pitched a perfect seventh inning in his Western Oregon debut.

"This was a gutty team effort to get the last game of the series," Robbins said. "It was a phenomenal effort by all our guys.

"The thing I enjoyed most about this trip was the growth and chemistry of this team," continued Robbins. "This road trip was a great life experience but I'll be happy to be home."

Next games
The Western Oregon baseball team will now head to Lewiston, Idaho to compete in the annual Guardian Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Tournament, Feb. 17-19.