HAYWARD, Calif. – A late run in the eighth inning caused Western Oregon baseball to fall to the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay, 3-2, in the first contest of the four-game series.
The Wolves are now 3-3 in the season, while the Pioneers are undefeated with four wins.
After the Wolves got on the board first, the Pioneers responded with two runs to take over the lead. Western Oregon would tie the game in the seventh inning, but East Bay's late run earned the Pioneers the win.
Western Oregon totaled six hits—while East Bay had seven—with redshirt senior
Marcus Madden hitting two, and seniors
Cody Sullivan,
Nathan Etheridge, as well as
Caleb Falck each tallied one hit.
Freshman
Jacob Fricke earned the loss after pitching one inning and allowing the Pioneers' winning run. He is now 1-1 this season. Before Fricke stepped up to the mound, sophomore
Brady Miller started the Wolves off with the first six innings, allowing two runs and striking out four. Juniors
Trey Smith and
Elias Bedolla also pitched 0.2 and 0.1 inning, respectively.
For East Bay, Alex Vesia pitched six innings, allowing one run and striking out three. Joshua Kubiske earned one run after pitching 1.2 innings, but it was Andrew Fernandez who earned the win, his first of the season, after pitching 0.1 inning. Derek Oetken earned the save as he pitched the ninth inning.
Western Oregon's first run came when Sullivan scored after Falck flied out to center field. Prior to the run, Sullivan had singled to center field, and Etheridge's single allowed Sullivan to advance to third base.
The Pioneers tied up the game in the fourth as Myles Babitt scored an unearned run after Raymond Jones reached on a fielding error. Babitt had reached on a throwing error and advanced to second base on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the sixth, East Bay stole the lead. First, Rudy Navarro singled with a bunt and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Troy Resch's single allowed Navarro to get to third, and because Babitt reached on a fielder's choice to get Resch out, Navarro was able to make the run home.
The Wolves stayed in the game as redshirt sophomore
Jay Leverett scored. Leverett served as a pinch runner for Falck, who had singled to left field. Madden's single brought Leverett to third, and
Erik Long's fly out to left field gave Leverett the opportunity to score.
The bottom of the eighth inning came, and Joey Dice, who was a designated hitter for Babitt, earned the winning run for the Pioneers. After singling to left field, stealing second, and a double from Dakota Conners, Dice ran home.
Western Oregon fought to at least tie in the top of the ninth, and junior
Nick Snyder even got on base after a hit by pitch. However, two ground outs and one fly out prevented the Wolves from producing another run.
The Wolves will continue the series on Saturday, February 13, with a double header. First pitch for the first game is set for 11 a.m., and the second starts at 2 p.m.
