ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Senior Logan Hatley was on point throughout the second game on the mound Saturday as backed by his 13 strikeouts and complete game shutout, the Western Oregon University baseball team split with Central Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. WOU took game two, 3-0, while the Wildcats held on for the 6-5 win in the opener.
In game two, Hatley was in command and WOU (5-5, 3-3 GNAC) needed his strong effort on the mound, as it was a scoreless game into the seventh. Dillon Larsen was able to match Hatley for the Wildcats (5-11, 2-4 GNAC) as he went the first 5.1 innings and kept the game scoreless.
"I felt like going into that second game, we really wanted to win this one and I think it showed," Hatley said. "I felt really good on the mound, just felt like water all seven innings and was able to get a big win for us to help split the day."
Hatley didn't allow a hit until two outs in the third and all three hits he allowed were singles. The Wolves threatened to break through in the third when Derek Maiben walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a passed ball, but a fly out left him stranded.
WOU loaded the bases in the fourth with Connor McCord, Ryan Santa Cruz and Tyler Brandenburg all walking, before a double play ended the threat. The Wolves again had the bases loaded in the sixth when Jacob Maiben doubled, Joshua McIntyre was hit-by-pitch and Jayden Hanna walked. A fielder's choice groundout ended the inning keeping the game scoreless.
WOU then broke through in the seventh. With one out, Derek Maiben walked and Cole Carder singled. Jacob Maiben walked to load the bases for McCord, who worked a bases loaded walk for the RBI and the 1-0 lead. A throwing error on a ball put in play by McIntyre brought in the second run and after another walk to Santa Cruz, Hanna walked with the bases loaded for the RBI and a 3-0 lead.
Hatley then got a fly out, a strikeout and after a single, another strikeout to end the game. Hits for both teams were hard to come by with WOU holding a 4-3 edge, while the teams combined for four errors, with three committed by WOU.
Derek Maiben, Jacob Maiben, Carder and Mitchell Hulse all had hits for WOU. The Wolves drew 11 walks with Derek Maiben, Jacob Maiben, McCord, Santa Cruz and Hanna all drawing two walks apiece. Hatley's line for the game was a complete seven game effort for his first win (1-0) in a Wolves uniform, to go along with his save earlier this year at Fresno Pacific. He allowed just the three hits and one walk, to go along with the 13 strikeouts.
Three players picked up a hit for Central Washington, while after Larsen went the first 5.1 innings and didn't allow a run, four others pitchers went the final 1.2 innings. Aaron Foust ended up with the loss (0-2) after allowing an unearned run in a third of an inning.
In the opener of the day, WOU took the early lead and after CWU came back to tie, each team put together four run innings before the Wildcats pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth.
Following a scoreless first, Justyn Herzog ripped a solo homer to right-center in the second for the 1-0 lead. The Wildcats tallied an unearned run in the third to even the score at one.
In the bottom of the fourth, a bases-clearing triple and an RBI groundout plated four runs for Central Washington to give the Wildcats a 5-1 lead after four.
WOU came right back in the fifth. With two quick outs, Hanna singled, Jacob Maiben singled before an RBI double by David Gibons brought WOU within three. McIntyre added a two-run single to left to trim the deficit to one. Herzog then tied the game with an RBI single up the middle for the 5-5 score after five.
"It was a day filled with adversity, we dropped the first game in a close one," McIntrye said. "Overall, we rallied back well in the second game behind Hatley's incredible performance. We are looking to carry this momentum through the rest of this series and season. Everyone is in it and ready to go!"
That score would stay the same into the eighth when a leadoff double and sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third for an RBI pinch-hit single to take a 6-5 lead into the ninth.
WOU threatened in the ninth getting two runners on via hit-by-pitch, but a fly out to right ended the game with Central Washington taking the 6-5 victory.
WOU held an 8-7 edge in hits, but committed the only four errors in the game. Herzog led the offense with two hits and two runs driven in. McIntyre also added a pair of RBI. On the mound, McCord started for the Wolves and went the first five innings allowed five runs (two earned), along with three strikeouts. Seth Kuykendall went the next 2.2 innings and allowed a run to end up with the loss (1-1). Wryland McKnight went the final third of an inning.
Austin Ohland led the Wildcats with two hits and Adam Fahsel drove in three runs. Tyler Hoefer went the first five innings on the mound, allowing five earned runs and added nine strikeouts. JJ Asinas grabbed the win (2-0) allowing just a walk in four innings of work.
The two teams will finish their four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday starting at noon.
