PORTLAND, Ore.—Facing a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th, Western Oregon's Spencer Bennion belted his first home run of the season to deliver a 5-4 walk-off win in the opening game of a four-game series against Concordia in GNAC baseball action on Friday night.
Concordia (13-22, 12-13 GNAC) reliever Dylan Diaz recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the 9th before Western Oregon's (15-13, 15-10 GNAC)
Justin Spinner connected on a single to center to keep the comeback hopes alive. Called on for his second pinch hitting appearance of the season and down to his last strike, Bennion launched a no-doubt homer into the right-field stands to send the Wolves rushing onto the field in celebration.
The two teams will play the second game of the series on Sunday evening before closing out the weekend with a doubleheader on Sunday.
Western Oregon trailed for most of the game, but managed to tie the contest with two runs in the 8th inning. Concordia immediately reclaimed the lead with a single run in the top of the 9th. Concordia's go-ahead run came on an Isaiah Hatch single to center to plate Kyle Henderson, who reached on a WOU fielding error in the previous at bat that prolonged the inning.
Justin Dolezal picked up the win for WOU after recording the final out for the Wolves in the 9th. The late heroics saved a hard-luck loss for reliever WOU's Grant Fisher. Fisher allowed just one hit in 4 1/3 innings of work but was charged with CU's final run. Fisher struck out eight of the 15 batters he faced in the game, including striking out the side in the 8th as part of a string of six straight victims.
The Wolves captured the win despite stranding 12 runners on base. The Wolves loaded the bases in both the 4th and 5th innings but managed just a single run for their efforts.
Western Oregon scored once in the bottom of the 1st with a Nyles Nygaard sacrifice fly to plate Jacob Martinez. The Wolves failed to add to the total as CU starter Jake Roes worked around the early trouble with a strikeout to strand two more runners.
The Cavaliers capitalized in the 2nd inning with a pair of runs to take the early lead. Eddie Vasquez doubled down the right-field line for the team's first RBI while Trevor Huddleston followed with an RBI single to right for the 2-1 advantage for the Cavaliers.
The Cavs continued to apply pressure in the 3rd by loading the bases, but managed just one additional run as reliever Kolby Bales ended the assault with a strikeout.
Jay Leverett went 3-for-5 at the plate for WOU with one RBI and one run scored. Nygaard recorded a second RBI via a sac fly with a run-producing out in the 8th to tie the game at 4-4.
