AZUSA, Calif. — Western Oregon baseball placed a victory label on their first game of the 2016 season and the first of a four-game series, defeating Azusa Pacific, 3-1, on Thursday evening.
 
All of the scoring action took place in the first three innings. In the first, the Cougars (0-1, 0-0 PacWest) only had one out and packed each base with a player. Michael Franco scampered home from third base after Michael Staudinger walked.
 
The Wolves (1-0, 0-0 GNAC) scored all three of their runs in the third inning. With two outs already on the board, junior Brock Pradere got the Wolves started as he singled to right field and then advanced to second due to an Azusa Pacific error. Senior Trevor Podratz stepped up to the plate next and hit a single to left field, while Pradere scored..
 
Western Oregon took the lead when redshirt junior Joey Crunkilton blasted a two-run homerun to right field.
 
Western Oregon and Azusa Pacific matched each other with eight hits. Redshirt junior Erik Long added two hits, and senior Kyle Vanderkin, redshirt senior Marcus Madden, and senior Cody Poznanski each had one hit. Azusa Pacific's Mitch Dergazarian had the team's only extra-base hit, with a double in teh seventh.
 
Sophomore right-hander Brady Miller claimed the win throwing after five innings, permitting four hits and striking out seven. Senior right-hander Cody Allison also pitched two innings, allowed one hit, and struck out two batters. Junior Elias Bedolla earned the save after pitching two innings, allowing three hits, and striking out two.
 
Cougar pitcher Jonny Reid pitched 4.2 innings, conceding six hits and striking out four Wolves. Mitchell Williams, Royal Bradley, Kale Morton, and Nick Hellman also saw time on the pitcher's mound. Bradley struck out two, while Morton struck out one.
 
The Wolves continue the series against Azusa Pacific on Friday, February 5 with a double header at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.