NAMPA, Idaho – Following a dominant win over #9 Azusa Pacific, the Western Oregon University baseball team came oh so close to securing the NCAA West Regional title against #15 Northwest Nazarene before the Nighthawks rallied in the ninth to force the if necessary game that will take place Saturday in a winner-take-all for the regional title. WOU opened the day with a 16-5 win over Azusa Pacific to eliminate the Cougars. The Wolves then needed just one more win to secure the regional title. The Nighthawks fought back to edge WOU, 7-5, in game four of the regional to push the tournament to one more game. WOU and NNU will play on Saturday at 11 a.m. (Pacific) to determine which team will claim the west regional title.
In the first game of the day, WOU (22-7) cruised to the win over the top-seed in the region in Azusa Pacific. The Wolves used a four-run third and six-run fifth to put the game out of reach.
After APU (33-10) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second, it was all WOU after that. In the third, Connor McCord delivered the big hit. With two outs quickly recorded, Blayze Arcano singled. Derek Maiben reached on a fielding error and after Jacob Maiben walked, McCord launched a 1-1 pitch deep over the right-center field fence for a grand slam and 4-1 lead.
WOU then put the game out of reach in the fifth. Arcano opened the frame with a solo homer to left to chase APU starter A.J. Woodall from the game. Woodall entered the game undefeated and suffered his first loss of the season on Friday. The Wolves didn't slow down against the bullpen. Derek Maiben welcomed the new pitcher with a homer to left for a 6-1 lead. Jacob Maiben doubled and after McCord walked, Ryan Witt also drew a walk to load the bases. Another pitching change followed and Justyn Herzog brought a run home with a sacrifice fly. After Tyler Brandenburg was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, Anthony Zellner hit a deep drive to left for a bases-clearing double and a 10-1 lead after five.
The Cougars picked up a few runs over the next couple of innings to pull to within five at 10-5. In the seventh, WOU tallied three more runs. With Brandenburg on via a bunt single and Zellner walked, a sacrifice bunt by Arcano moved both up. Derek Maiben singled to left to bring in both runs. Josh Berman capped the inning with an RBI single to left to score Derek Maiben for the 13-5 lead.
WOU closed the scoring in the eighth. Brandenburg walked and after back-to-back singles by Zellner and Arcano, Arcano's hit brought in Brandenburg. An error loaded the bases and Jacob Maiben hit a sacrifice fly to center for an RBI. McCord closed the scoring with an RBI single to right to leave WOU with a 16-5 lead.
WOU outhit APU 17-9, with Arcano leading the way with four hits. Derek Maiben, Jacob Maiben, McCord, Josh Berman, Brandenburg and Zellner all added two hits apiece. McCord drove in five runs, while Zellner added three RBI. On the mound, Nick Parr started and went the first 5.2 innings to collect his fourth win (4-0) of the season allowing just two earned runs. Seth Kuykendall pitched for the second straight day going a third of an inning. Michael Moore also worked a third of an inning before Nathan Bonck went the final 2.2 innings with five strikeouts.
Aaron Roose and Casey Dykstra led the Cougars with two hits apiece. Osvaldo Tovalin drove in three runs off a three-run homer. On the mound, Woodall took his first loss (8-1) of the season going four innings and allowing five runs (one earned). Five pitchers combined to finish the game for APU.
In the second game of the day, WOU took a 5-0 lead and Matthew Dunaway carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
The game was scoreless into the fourth when McCord put WOU on the board with a solo homer to left-center. Berman followed with a solo shot down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, Berman again came up big. With Derek Maiben opening the frame with a double, McCord was intentionally walked to get to Berman who launched his second homer of the game, a three-run shot to left for a 5-0 lead.
It stayed that way into the sixth, with Dunaway allowing just a few walks and no hits, the Nighthawks were able to get on the board in the sixth inning. With two runners on and two outs, a two-run triple brought NNU (33-8) back to within three at 5-2. That was the end of the day for Dunaway, as Alan Vasquez came on in relief to get the final out of the sixth. He stayed locked in getting a 1-2-3 seventh and 1-2-3 eighth.
With WOU still ahead 5-2 in the ninth, NNU was able to start a rally. With the first two batters retired, the Nighthawks tallied a pair of singles to bring the tying run to the plate. John Gonzalez hit the tying three-run homer to even the game at five. NNU kept coming as the next batter was hit-by-pitch before Alex Salsman hit a walk-off two-run homer to give the Nighthawks the 7-5 win.
WOU held a 9-5 edge in hits with Berman, Herzog and Zellner all recording two hits apiece. Berman drove in four runs. On the mound, Dunaway went the first 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs with 10 strikeouts. Vasquez went the next three innings and allowed two earned runs. McCord ended up with the loss (0-1) allowing the final three runs of the game.
Five players had a hit for NNU with Gonzalez driving in three runs. On the mound, Spencer Schwehr started and went the first 3.2 innings allowing two earned runs. Eventually Max Holtzclaw went the final two-thirds of an inning to get the win (5-1) picking up two strikeouts.
WOU and NNU will now decide who will claim the NCAA West Regional spot and who will advance to the NCAA National Championships tomorrow (Saturday) starting at 11 a.m. (Pacific). The winner will be the first-ever GNAC team to advance to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships, which will be played on June 5-12 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC.
