PORTLAND, Ore. – The Western Oregon baseball team swept Concordia in a doubleheader on Sunday to capture all three games in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference series. The wins pushed Western Oregon's league winning streak to six games and their overall record to 7-3 while the host Cavaliers are now 4-13, 2-5 on the year.
 
WOU's Craig Grubbe and Concordia's Jake Brewer battled in a pitcher's duel over five scoreless innings. The Wolves tacked their two runs on the board in the sixth. After Brock Pradere reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, Joey Crunkilton was intentionally walked. With two on and two outs, Koty Fallon made the Cavs pay with a gap-splitting double to right field getting Pradere and Crunkilton in for a 2-0 lead.
 
Grubbe threw six quality frames striking out five in his second start of the season. He allowed just two hits and did not issue a walk to improve to 1-0 on the year. Jacob Fricke, Alex Roth and Cam Walker combined for three strikeouts while surrendering one hit over the final three innings. Walked retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save on the year.
 
Brewer went the distance for Concordia, but took the loss. He dropped to 1-4 after scattering four hits and two runs. He fanned eight and walked three.
 
The WOU offense came calling early in the nightcap in support of a complete-game effort on the hill from Trey Smith. Western Oregon scored two in the second inning with a RBI single from Nyles Nygaard and a bases-loaded walk offered to Jacob Martinez.
 
The Wolves added three in the third – singles from Fallon and Torreahno Sweet were followed by four consecutive walks giving RBIs to Nygaard, Garrett Anderson and Martinez.
 
A double from Justin Wakem and another run-scoring single from Nygaard pushed the lead to 7-0 in the fourth while Tony Fonzo's sacrifice fly capped another two-run frame in the fifth to lead 9-1.
 
Smith earned his first official win of the season (he is in line for the win in the March 6 halted game against Montana State Billings) allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
 
Sam Gillenwater took the loss for Concordia in game two after allowing five runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. He is 1-1 on the year.
 
Up Next
Western Oregon has five home games scheduled next week. The Wolves welcome in Corban University for the first of two makeup games after the scheduled season-opening weekend was rained out. First pitch against the Warriors is set for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. WOU returns the GNAC play hosting Central Washington for a four-game series beginning Saturday, March 18 at 1 p.m.