SEASIDE, Calif. – In the opener of the four-game series between Western Oregon University and California State University Monterey Bay, the Wolves' baseball team fell to the host Otters, 6-2, Friday at Otter Sports Complex.
Western Oregon (1-8) was led offensively by five players – senior
Garret Harpole, senior
Marcus Hinkle, senior
Tim Rausch, junior
Nathan Etheridge, and junior
Brandon Oliver – with one hits each, while junior
Darrien Moran went the opening 4.1 innings for the Wolves allowing five earned runs on seven hits before turning the ball over to a pair of relievers – junior
Tyler Bennett and junior
Shawn Domke – for the final 3.2 innings. The bullpen allowed just one run on three hits with a combined five strikeouts.
For Cal State Monterey Bay (2-3), Will Rosado and Justin Flores had two hits each with five different Otters registering a RBI that included a solo home run by Rosado in the second inning. Greg Steinbeck went the opening 7.0 innings for CSUMB en route to picking up the win, as he allowed two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Brian Scott and Christian Stubbs would close out the game for the Otters combining to allow a mere one hit over the final two innings.
Cal State Monterey Bay scored six unanswered runs over the opening six innings before Harpole finally put the Wolves on the board with a two-run home run over the left field fence that scored Rausch following his single through the left side, as Western Oregon pulled within four runs (6-2).
Neither team would put much pressure on the opposing pitcher until the top of the ninth inning when Western Oregon loaded the bases with one out, as Etheridge registered a one-out single through the left side before back-to-back hit-by-pitch by
Michael Sherwin and Rausch. Unfortunately, Harpole ended the game on an unassisted double play by CSUMB's second baseman as the Otters took the opener by the final score of 6-2.
Both teams continue play in this weekend's series tomorrow – Saturday, February 14 – with a double header that begins at 11 a.m. at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside, California.