Baseball | 3/1/2014 5:29:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University baseball team won the opening series of its 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule after two wins, 5-3 and 3-2, over Central Washington University Saturday.
The Wolves (9-8, 3-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) are the lone team in the conference with a winning overall record after the first week of GNAC play. WOU and Central Washington were one and two in the conference's preseason poll.
Parker Miles finished the day 5-of-7 for Western Oregon. The senior had three RBI and hit two doubles. He also crossed the plate three times.
Chris Bradshaw and Nate Etheridge both had two-hit days, with Etheridge finishing with two RBI.
Eric Huson and
Taylor Hetrick both picked up wins on the mound. Huson allowed one earned run through eight innings of work.
"
Eric Huson threw really well today," WOU Head Coach
Kellen Walker said. "We needed a quality start and Eric picked us up."
Miles was 3-for-4 in the first game, and helped open the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single to right field that brought in
Matt Taylor. Neither team scored until CWU evened the game at one in the sixth inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Miles hit an RBI double and
Daniel McNabb later brought in Miles with a single. Bradshaw and Etheridge both drove in runs in the seventh to increase the lead to 5-1. The Wildcats scored two runs in the ninth before falling.
Huson (2-0) finished with six strikeouts and one walk. He allowed six hits on 103 pitches in his eight-inning effort.
Jesse Pratt grabbed his first save after throwing in the ninth. Stuart Fewel (1-1) dueled with Huson through 6.2 innings before picking up the loss.
In Game 2, Clark McKetrick threw the first four innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He was one of four pitchers to make an appearance for the Wolves. Hetrick (2-0) tossed the final two innings and picked up the win.
"McKitrick battled to give us a chance in Game 2," Walker said. "We got away from our plan offensively, but Clark kept us in the game. It wasn't always pretty, but really competitive by Clark. (Zev) Egli, (Zach) Kayser and Hetrick all were able to get some tough hitters out in some big spots in game 2. It definitely took the whole roster to get this series."
Miles started the scoring again with a single through the right side. The Wildcats (5-7, 1-3 GNAC) countered with two scores in the second. Etheridge hit an RBI single in the third inning. Miles was driven in by an
Austin Hamilton sacrifice fly for the winning score in the eighth.
Western Oregon welcomes Montana State Billings (1-10, 0-0) for a four-game series next Saturday and Sunday. Both days will feature doubleheaders that begin at 12 p.m. Live video and stats will be on WOUWolves.com. The games will also be broadcasted on KWVT throughout the Willamette Valley.
Western Oregon 5, Central Washington 3 (03/01/14 at Monmouth, OR) (Game 1)
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Central Washington.. 000 001 002 - 3 9 0 (5-6, 1-2)
Western Oregon...... 100 002 11X - 5 9 2 (8-8, 2-1)
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Pitchers: Central Washington - Fewel; Dickinson(7); Johnson,J.(8); Levin(8) and White.
Western Oregon - Huson,Eric; Pratt,Jesse(9) and Turner,Jarrod.
Win-Huson,Eric(2-0) Save-Pratt,Jesse(1) Loss-Fewel(1-1) T-2:15 A-56
Weather: Overcast and chilly
Western Oregon 3, Central Washington 2 (03/01/14 at Monmouth, OR) (Game 2)
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Central Washington.. 020 000 00 - 2 7 2 (5-7, 1-3)
Western Oregon...... 101 000 01 - 3 5 1 (9-8, 3-1)
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Pitchers: Central Washington - Pitcher; Welch(7) and Beckman. Western Oregon - McKitrick,Clark;
Egli,Zev(5); Kayser,Zach(6); Hetrick,Taylor(7) and Chavarria,Will.
Win-Hetrick,Taylor(2-0) Loss-Welch(0-1) T-2:30 A-0
McKitrick faced 1 batter in the 5th.
