LACEY, Wash. – To conclude its Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opening weekend, Western Oregon University's baseball team split a double header against the Saints of Saint Martin's University, 7-3 and 0-1, Sunday at the SMU Baseball Field.

Senior Tim Rausch led Western Oregon (7-13, 3-1 GNAC) offensively with a combined 4-for-7 performance at the plate that included three runs scored, while junior Mac Gridley drove in a team-high three RBI that included the game-winning double in the top of the eighth inning in Game #1. Gridley, senior Garret Harpole, and junior Cody Poznanski also tallied two hits each for the Wolves.

Junior Garrett Alvarez got the start for Western Oregon in the opening allowing three earned runs on six hits over the opening 4.2 innings before giving way to freshman Brady Miller and junior Jacob Storedahl for the final 4.1 innings. Miller would pick up the first victory of his young collegiate career allowing a mere two hits in 3.1 innings of work to go along with a team-high three strikeouts. Storedahl pitched the ninth inning in the opener for the Wolves facing four batters with one K. In this weekend's series finale, junior Houston Samuel got the start allowing one unearned run on five hits over the opening 4.0 innings before turning the ball over the junior Shawn Domke for the final 2.0 innings.

GAME #1 — WESTERN OREGON 7, SAINT MARTIN'S 3

In Sunday's opener, Saint Martin's jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when the Saints took advantage of back-to-back home runs by Chandler Tracy and Carl Svanevik.

Western Oregon would finally get on the board in the top of the fifth inning when Rausch led off with a single through the left side before coming around to score on Gridley's triple to left field. During the Wolves' very next at-bat, Gridley would come home to score on a throwing error by SMU's first baseman as Western Oregon pulled within a single run (3-2).

One inning later, Western Oregon tied the game at 3-3 on Rausch's first home run of the season via a solo shot over the left field fence.

Two innings later, Western Oregon would take the lead for good on a two-run double down the left field line by Gridley that scored senior Matt Taylor and Rausch before Harpole launched his team-leading fourth home run of the season via a two-run bomb over the left field fence resulting in a 7-3 lead for the Wolves.

After earning the lead, Storedahl would shut down SMU's offense in the ninth inning as Western Oregon earned its third straight win to open conference play.

Svanevik and David Bellamy led Saint Martin's with two hits each, while Nick Mailot got the start for the Saints allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over the opening 4.1 innings. The relief combo of Torin Dooley and Brad Banker would combine to allow five earned runs on five hits with Banker suffering the loss in 2.0 innings out of the Saints' bullpen.

GAME #2 — SAINT MARTIN'S 1, WESTERN OREGON 0

In the series finale, Saint Martin's took advantage of a Western Oregon error in the bottom of the third inning when Kaelen Hirashiki scored on a throwing error by WOU's second baseman resulting in the lone run of the game.

Western Oregon would nearly get on the board first in the top of the second inning when junior Nathan Etheridge led off with a single to left field before advancing to third on Rausch's double down the left field line. Unfortunately, Etheridge would be stranded ninety feet away from home plate on three straight balls that did not leave the infield and resulted in outs.

That would be as close as Western Oregon would get to scoring, as the Wolves would put a pair of runners on second base but could not get them any closer en route to WOU dropping the series finale to Saint Martin's by the final score of 1-0.

Four Wolves – Taylor, Etheridge, Rausch, and Harpole – each registered hits for Western Oregon, as Samuel suffered his fourth loss of the season for WOU.

Kameron Banister led Saint Martin's with two hits, while Riley Moore went the distance allowing a mere four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Western Oregon returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 7, in the Wolves' home opener against Central Washington University with a double header beginning at 12:00 p.m. on WOU's Baseball Field in Monmouth.