PORTLAND, Ore. – Two quality starts on the mound backed up by key offensive outputs led the Western Oregon baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Saint Martin's in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Wednesday at Porter Park on Concordia University's campus.
 
The Wolves improve to 23-11 overall and 22-8 in the GNAC, winning their fourth consecutive game and 12^th in the last 15. The Saints fall to 13-25 on the season and 10-20 in league action.
 
GAME ONE – Western Oregon 5, Saint Martin's 3
With the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, a pair of extra-base hits gave the Wolves a late lead. Joey Crunkilton lined a 3-2 pitch into the gap in right-center field for a triple against SMU reliever Luke Hare. Three pitches later, Nyles Nygaard doubled into the gap plating Crunkilton with the go-ahead run. Justin Wakem added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to give WOU a 5-3 advantage.
 
Kade Mechals allowed one hit in the top of the ninth to close the victory and earn his sixth save.
 
Western Oregon scored the opening three runs with a single tally in the third and two more in the fourth. Jacob Martinez opened the scoring with a line drive single to right field scoring Jay Leverett after he doubled down the left field line. Forrest Garcia capped a two-out rally with a double to bring home two for a 3-0 lead.
 
Cam Walker tossed six innings in his second start of the year allowing two runs on six hits while striking out a season-high eight batters.
 
Saint Martin's tied the game in the top of the seventh but did not push across anything further after Elias Bedolla came out of the pen at picked up a critical strikeout to end the rally. The senior pitcher then worked around a one-out double in the eighth to toss 1.1 innings to pick up the winning decision (5-4).
 
Martinez and Crunkilton each had two hits with the Wolves totaling 10 hits.
 
Hare took the loss for SMU allowing two runs on two hits in one inning.
 
GAME TWO – Western Oregon 5, Saint Martin's 1
Brady Miller went the distance for Western Oregon in Wednesday's second game displaying both great command in retiring 11 of 12 batters at one point and grit to work out of three big jams, including a bases-loaded threat from the Saints in the sixth. Miller allowed an earned run on six hits and three walks while striking out eight to improve to 4-2 on the year.
 
All the offense Miller and Wolves needed came in the top of the third inning. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bags for Martinez, who also drew a base on balls for a RBI and a 1-0 lead. Two pitches later, Crunkilton sent a single into center field scoring two initially; a fielding error on the inbound throw by the cut-off man allowed Martinez to score from third and increase the lead to 4-0.
 
Nygaard's RBI triple in the next frame closed the WOU scoring, scoring Leverett.
 
Miller's biggest adversity came in the Saint Martin's sixth when a double, a walk and an infield hit loaded the bags. Responding to the pressure, Miller struck out a pinch hitter and got a fly ball to left field for the third out.
 
Each team had six hits in game two. SMU starter Adam Eskil dropped to 0-2 scattering three runs on one hit over 2.2 innings.
 
UP NEXT
Western Oregon will look to solidify its spot at the top of the GNAC when they travel to Ellensburg this weekend for a showdown with the second-place Wildcats of Central Washington. Doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday each begin at 12 p.m.