PORTLAND, Ore. – The Western Oregon baseball team showed grit and resolve after dropping the first two games of a relocated home series to Concordia with two Great Northwest Athletic Conference wins against the Cavaliers on Saturday to earn a series split. Solid pitching and timely hitting led to a 5-1 win in game one and a 6-0 victory in game two.
 
The doubleheader sweep of the Cavaliers moves Western Oregon to 21-11 overall and 20-8 in GNAC play. Concordia saw their season-long three-game winning streak snapped to fall to 11-31 overall and 9-23 in league play.
 
Starting pitchers Craig Grubbe and Trey Smith combined to allow just 14 hits on one earned run in the doubleheader, with Smith recording a shutout in his second straight complete-game effort.
 
The offense carved out 11 runs on 19 hits in the two games, with Nyles Nygaard going 5 for 6 on the day with a homer, a triple and three singles. Joey Crunkilton had three doubles, including two in Saturday's first game.
 
GAME ONE
Grubbe kept the Cavaliers off the scoreboard over the first five innings stranding three runners at third base.
 
Nygaard got the scoring started with a RBI single in the second inning after Crunkilton preceded him with his first double. Forrest Garcia sparked the scoring in the third with a leadoff single and came into score when Connor McCord lifted a ball into center field for a sacrifice fly.
 
The Cavaliers scored their lone run in the top of the sixth inning with four two-out hits culminating with an infield RBI single from Ben Koerner. Grubbe induced a groundout to shortstop with the bases loaded to keep the lead 2-1 for WOU.
 
Western Oregon scored three insurance runs in the seventh. The first run came after Crunkilton's second double was cashed in on a Nygaard bunt single and CU throwing error. Justin Wakem drove in Nygaard with a single to right field and scored later in the frame from third base after Garcia stalled for enough time in a rundown between first and second base.
 
Grubbe (2-2) earned the win on the hill allowing one run on eight hits and striking out seven. Christian Hammerich threw two scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit, and Shawn Domke closed the game with three strikeouts.
 
Concordia starting pitcher Tyler Charlton allowed five runs on 10 hits in a complete-game performance to record the loss, falling to 1-6 on the season.
 
GAME TWO
Nygaard finished a double short of a cycle in game two leading the Wolves to the Saturday sweep with a 6-0 victory. His solo home run, number two of the year, with two outs in the second gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Torreahno Sweet doubled to keep the inning going and Boog Leach knocked Sweet in with a single to center field to double the lead at the end of the frame.
 
Western Oregon added four runs on five hits in the third inning in support of Smith on the mound. McCord's RBI single plated Leverett who singled, stole second and reached third on a throwing error. Jacob Martinez doubled to right field and Crunkilton followed with another two-bagger that scored McCord and Martinez. Nygaard closed the scoring lining a ball into the right-centerfield gap for a RBI triple.
 
Smith did the rest of the work, allowing only four runners into scoring position all game. He scattered six hits and two walks while striking out five in his second career complete game shutout.
 
For the Cavaliers, Gerhett Moser took the loss (0-1) allowing five runs on six hits in two innings.
 
UP NEXT
Western Oregon is scheduled to make up two GNAC games on Tuesday (April 25) against Saint Martin's at Porter Park in Portland. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.