MONMOUTH, Ore. – A pair of returning seniors made a strong impact on Saturday. A go-ahead three-run homer by Blayze Arcano helped the Western Oregon University baseball team claim the 8-6 win in the first game Saturday against Saint Martin's. Then Connor McCord hit two home runs to help the Wolves to the 4-1 win in the series finale to take all four Great Northwest Athletic Conference games over the past two days.
It was a wild opener to start the day on Saturday. WOU (10-4, 9-3 GNAC) plated runs in each of the first three innings. In the first, Jacob Maiben doubled and moved to third on a fielding error. McCord drove him home with an RBI groundout to second.
In the second, Ryan Witt started the frame with a single through the right side. Jayden Hanna followed with a single and then moved to second as the throw went to third that Witt beat out. Arcano drove in the run with a single to shortstop for the 2-0 lead.
Josh Berman ignited the offense in the third with a one out single to center. Justyn Herzog added a single through the right side to put runners at the corners. Alex Garcia was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch followed to bring in Berman and move the runners to second and third. Witt hit a drive to center that would turn into an RBI sacrifice fly for the 4-0 lead after three.
Saint Martin's (4-14, 1-11 GNAC) got on the board in the fifth with an RBI triple. Then in the seventh, the Saints came all the way back to take the lead scoring five runs on three hits for a 6-4 advantage.
WOU refused to go away, answering back in the home half of the seventh. Jacob Maiben was hit-by-pitch and after McCord reached on a fielder's choice, he would move to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. Berman would cash the run in with an RBI groundout to third to trim the deficit to one at 6-5.
Arcano delivered the big hit in the eighth. Garcia was hit-by-pitch and pinch-runner Sam Jones entered and would later steal second. After Hanna was also hit-by-pitch, Arcano wasted little time jumping on the first pitch and hitting it over the left field fence for a three-run homer and an 8-6 lead.
Alan Vasquez came on to close the game in the ninth, picking up two strikeouts around two singles to shut the door giving WOU the 8-6 victory.
Saint Martin's held a 9-8 edge in hits with Berman and Arcano leading the way for WOU with two hits. Arcano drove in four runs. On the mound, Logan Hatley started and went the first 6.2 innings to end up with the no-decision after allowing four earned runs and posting six strikeouts. Michael Moore ended up with the win (1-0) tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief while adding a strikeout. Vasquez then collected the save working a scoreless ninth.
Aaron Renaud led the Saints with four hits. Griffin Williams drove in three runs. On the mound, Troy McCormick started and ended up with the no-decision going the first four innings and allowing four earned runs. Jacob Woodall went the next three innings allowing just two runs (one earned) before James Gunther went the final inning allowing two earned runs to take the loss (0-2).
In the second game, a pair of big blasts by McCord ended up being all that the Wolves would need.
With Jones on to leadoff the first, he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. McCord followed and crushed a 1-0 pitch deep over the right-center field fence for a two-run shot and a 2-0 lead after one.
The Saints got on the board in the second with a solo home run to left.
McCord hit another round-tripper in the third when he hit the first pitch he saw deep over the right field fence for a solo homer and a 3-1 WOU lead.
Nick Parr worked out of a jam in the fourth. With runners at the corners and one out, a strikeout and lineout to shortstop left the runners stranded and kept WOU with their two-run lead.
With two more Saints on in the sixth, Seth Kuykendall came on in relief and tallied a big strikeout to end the inning and keep WOU still in front at 3-1.
In the home half of the inning, Arcano opened the frame with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then score on a single to center by Jones for a 4-1 lead.
Nathan Bonck entered to close the game in the seventh and worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts to finish off the 4-1 victory.
WOU held an 8-6 edge in hits with Jones leading the way with three hits. McCord drove in three runs. On the mound, Parr picked up his second win (2-0) of the season working the first 5.2 innings and allowing just one earned run to go along with eight strikeouts. Kuykendall worked a third of an inning and then Bonck picked up his second save of the season with a perfect seventh.
Mark Steward led the Saints with three hits and had the only RBI. On the mound, Cole Hatton ended up with the loss (0-5) going the first five innings and allowing three earned runs.
WOU will now travel to face No. 15 and current GNAC leader Northwest Nazarene this coming Friday and Saturday in Nampa. The teams will open the series with a doubleheader on Friday at 3 p.m.
