MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon baseball team completed a four-game sweep of Central Washington on Saturday at WOU Baseball Field, finishing a rain-suspended 5-1 win early in the day before winning 9-4, 6-5 in the regularly-scheduled doubleheader.
Sending their 15 seniors out in style in their final home game of their collegiate careers, Western Oregon (22-10, 19-10 GNAC) captured their second series sweep of the season, both of which have come at home.
Game one was highlighted by the starting pitching of
Jacob Fricke. Fricke (2-2) hurled a season-high 7.1 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out a career-high seven. It was the second time in his collegiate career he has struck out seven. Both outings have come against Central Washington (14-24, 11-20 GNAC).
The Wildcats took an early lead in game one of the doubleheader, breaking the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Jaden Hassell singled up the middle to score Justin Hampson.
The Wolves immediately hit back with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the same frame.
Jared McDonald singled in one and
Justin Wakem's grounder to the left side allowed a second run to score. A fielding error, one of four committed in the game by CWU, capped the inning's scoring by giving McDonald two extra bases.
WOU busted a 3-1 lead wide open with two runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh.
Connor McCord blasted a three-run home run to right in the seventh to lead the offense, helping the Wolves stretch their lead out to as many as eight at 9-1. McCord finished game one 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs scored, three RBI and a walk.
CWU tried to make a late push, scoring three runs over their final two innings at the plate, but the eight-run margin was too great to overcome.
Joshua Nobriga struck out three in the ninth to cap the win. The Wolves' pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts in the game.
Game two played out much closer with the game never separated by more than three runs and both sides holding multi-run leads.
Central pounced on offense, taking advantage of a walk and a hit batter in the first inning to score two runs on just one hit. Hampson doubled in the inning to score Mitch Lesmeister.
Western responded in kind with three runs in the bottom of the first to claim an early lead.
Collin Runge led off the frame with a double to left and scored later on a wild pitch. It was the first of two runs to score in the inning on a wild pitch.
Runge was 2-for-3 in game two, scoring a run, walking once and scampering for a steal. He had two steals on the day to total 14 on the season. He is now tied for second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in swipes and sits one off the GNAC lead held by NNU's Rocco Ferrari.
Griffey Halle had a big second game at the plate, cranking a decisive three-run homer in the third to break a 3-3 tie. The outfielder was 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBI to go along with his team-leading ninth home run.
The Wildcats spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, a task they weren't able to accomplish.
Dylan Myers threw three shutout, no-hit innings of relief to earn his first save of the season. He struck out three and walked one in his longest outing of the year.
WOU is now within 1.5 games of first place in the conference standings behind Montana State Billings. With eight games left to play in the regular season, Western's remaining opponents are a combined 25-38 in conference play.
The Wolves travel to Portland next week to take on Concordia in a four-game series. First pitch at Porter Park Thursday, April 25, in game one of a doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. PDT.
