NAMPA, Idaho – The Western Oregon Wolves got a solid pitching performance from conference Pitcher of the Year Brady Miller and the offense exploded for 18 hits to advance to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship game after an 18-1 victory over Montana State Billings on Friday at Vail Baseball Field.
 
The Wolves are now 31-22 on the year, while MSUB falls to 30-20 and sees its season end. WOU advances to face top-seeded Northwest Nazarene in the league's title game.
 
Friday's game was the direct antithesis to the meeting between the two clubs on Thursday. Western Oregon put four runs up on the board in the first inning highlighted by a three-run home run from Trevor Podratz and six more tallies in the top of the second to take a 10-0 lead.
 
Six WOU players had multi-hit games, paced by Podratz's 4-for-6 afternoon with three runs scored and four batted in. Nathan Etheridge had a three-run blast in the sixth as part of his 3-for-5 game with five runs knocked home.
 
Miller scattered six hits over six-plus innings, allowed one run, walked three and struck out seven to become the GNAC's first 10-game winner since Grady Wood had 12 wins for WOU in the 2012 season. Jacob Fricke threw three shutout frames to close out the game and earn a save.