LACEY, Wash.—Using a combination of 10 different pitchers, Western Oregon shut out Saint Martins for 16 innings in a doubleheader sweep on Friday.
Western Oregon (27-11, 24-11 GNAC) peppered the Saints to an 18-0 score in the opener before returning with a 6-0 win in the nightcap.
Despite the results, WOU saw its slim chance at a regular-season title fade away as MSU Billings claimed the championship with a weekend sweep of Concordia. In addition, Saint Martin's (19-28, 15-23 GNAC) clinched the fourth and final spot in the GNAC Tourney with the benefit of losses by Central Washington.
With one day remaining in the regular season, the tournament seeds are set with WOU earning the No. 2 spot behind MSUB and Northwest Nazarene set at the No. 3 position.
Western Oregon and Saint Martin's will close out their regular seasons with a Saturday doubleheader in Lacey. First pitch s set for 12 p.m. with senior day festivities taking place prior to the game for the Saints.
WOU scored six runs in the top of the 2nd and never looked back in the 18-0 win in the opener. The Wolves registered 19 hits in the game from 11 different players.
Senior catcher
Jared McDonald went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI.
Joshua McIntyre went 3-for-5 at the plate for his first three-hit game of the season.
WOU starter
Alex Roth did not allow a hit in 3.0 innings of duty.
Jacob Fricke took over and picked up the win with 2.0 innings of scoreless work. Dylan Myer,
Joshua Nobriga, and
Christian Hammerich closed out the contest.
In the nightcap, the Wolves sent three runners home in the 2nd inning and added to their tally with one in the 3rd and two more in the 4th for the final score.
Starter Connor McCrod and
Kolbe Bales allowed one hit each over the first four frames while
Koty Fallon Grant Fisher, and
Cam Walker combined to allow just one base runner over the final three stanzas.
Blayze Arcano provided the best line offensively for the Wolves with a 2-run single in the 2nd and a 2-run double in the 4th.