POST GAME INTERVIEW WITH BRADY MILLER
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – Behind a seven-run second inning that saw 12 batters come to the plate and seven rock-solid innings on the mound from junior Brady Miller, the Western Oregon baseball team clinched the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Championship with a 9-1 victory over Northwest Nazarene on Friday afternoon at Porter Park.
 
The win improves the Wolves to a 31-15 record on the season while Northwest Nazarene finished its season at 25-29.
 
In the bottom of the second inning in Portland, the Wolves would get all the offense they would need. Boog Leach singled, Garrett Anderson drew a base on balls and Forrest Garcia sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Brock Pradere brought began the scoring with a two-run single up the middle against NNU starting pitcher Brannan Patterson.
 
"Boog had a great lead off at bat to get the second going," WOU head coach Kellen Walker said. "After Garrett walked, Forrest executed his bunt and then we had a string of really competitive at-bats to open that inning."
 
The Crusaders went to the bullpen for Ross Clevenger, who pitched 7 2/3 innings on Thursday in an elimination game win over Montana State Billings. WOU would take advantage of a wary pitcher as Jay Leverett lined the first pitch into center field and past the diving attempt by the defender. Leverett was able to touch all four bases for a two-run inside-the-park homer to make it a 4-0 Wolves' lead. Joey Crunkilton added a RBI single before NNU went to the bullpen once again. With the bases loaded, Anderson split the gap in right-center for the final two runs of the frame and a 7-0 advantage.
 
Walker attributed the guys buying into just getting the next guy up to the plate that led to the run-scoring output.
 
NNU tallied a run in the top of the fourth after a two-out triple from GNAC Player of the Year Billy King was followed by an infield single from Casey Sheehan.
 
WOU answered with a run of its own. Connor McCord hit a seeing-eye single to left field allowing Pradere to make his way home after being hit by a pitch and stealing second. McCord added a RBI in the bottom of the seventh to post WOU's ninth and final run.
 
Miller allowed only two NNU baserunners to get into scoring position and worked around situations all game. He tied a season-high with nine strikeouts in his seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks to improve his season record to 5-2. Jacob Fricke and Shawn Domke each had scoreless frames to nail down the win.
 
"Brady competed well in the bottom of the zone today," Walker said. "He was sharp and we played well defensively behind him. Our pitcher threw well this week against some good offensive clubs."
 
Miller joined Cam Walker, the tournament MVP and record-holder with 10 strikeouts on Wednesday, and Alex Roth as WOU pitchers who had at least nine punchouts during the championships.
 
Western Oregon outhit the Crusaders 11-6 for the game, led by two hits each from Pradere, McCord and Jacob Martinez.
 
For the Wolves, the GNAC title is the third in five years and earned Western Oregon a sweep of the regular season and conference championship.
 
"I'm proud of the club for sticking with it through the year," Walked added. "They went through some tough situations during the year, they earned this one today."
 
NOTES: Western Oregon enjoyed playing at Porter Park this season. In 17 games on the Portland turf, the Wolves went 15-2 including winning the last seven games … The Wolves and Crusaders met for the third consecutive year in the finals of the GNAC Championships with WOU now holding two league titles to NNU's one.