ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Oregon University baseball team was in position to take game one against Central Washington before the Wildcats came back to take the opener, 7-6. CWU then started early to take game two by a score of 9-2 on Saturday in non-conference action in Ellensburg.
WOU (6-6) started strong in game one plating three runs in the first inning. Spencer Weston opened the frame with a single and then moved to second on a single by Derek Maiben. After Jacob Maiben moved both up with a sacrifice bunt, Jackson Holstad brought in the first run with an RBI single to second. John Stark followed with an RBI double to left for the 2-0 lead. Anthony Zellner capped the inning with an RBI groundout to second for the 3-0 lead.
The Wolves expanded the lead to 6-0 with three more in the third inning. Holstad began the frame with a double. Stark quickly brought him in with an RBI single to center. Zellner followed with a ringing double to right to move Stark to third. Justyn Herzog brought both runners home with a two-run single up the middle for the 6-0 lead.
The combination of Arturo Alvarez and Bryce Bond kept CWU (6-9) without a hit through the first four innings.
The Wildcats broke through with two runs in the fifth to leave WOU with the 6-2 lead. In the sixth, CWU plated two more runs, one unearned, to get to within two at 6-4. The Wildcats kept coming, tallying a run in the seventh to leave WOU with the 6-5 lead.
It stayed that way into the ninth. Down to their last at-bat, the Wildcats were able to rally with two runs to grab the 7-6 walk-off win.
Each team tallied eight hits and combined for three errors, with two committed by the Wildcats.
Holstad and Stark led the Wolves with two hits and both Stark and Herzog drove in two runs. On the mound, Alvarez started and went the first two innings, allowing no runs and tallied a strikeout. Bond followed working the next two innings and posted five strikeouts without allowing a run. Mike Peterson went the next two innings and allowed four runs (three earned). Chris Hardin pitched the seventh allowing an earned run. Seth Kuykendall worked a scoreless 1-2-3 eighth. Michael Moore ended up with the loss (1-1) allowing the two earned runs.
Adam Fahsel and Michael Copeland led the Wildcats with two hits apiece and Michael Peter drove in two runs. On the mound, Jake Bradley started and went the first 3.0 innings allowing six earned runs. Nolan Murphy went the next two innings and didn't allow a run. Ryan Arredondo went the final four innings to get the win (2-1) allowing no runs with four strikeouts.
In game two, CWU started right away with two runs in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats then jumped out to an 8-0 lead plating six runs in the fourth inning.
The Wolves got on the board in the sixth with Levi Cummings reaching on an error and moving to second. After two outs, Zach Valdez walked before Stark singled to right-center for the RBI to trim the deficit to 8-1.
After the Wildcats answered with a run in the home half of the sixth, WOU closed the scoring in the seventh. Mason Whitehead walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Darian Noll singled through the left side to put runners at the corners. Cummings then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right to provide the final margin of 9-2.
CWU held a 10-4 edge in hits while both teams committed an error. Leighton Moniz, Stark, Noll and Cummings all had hits for the Wolves. On the mound, Parker Johnson started for the Wolves and ended up with the loss (2-1) working the first inning and allowing two earned runs, while adding three strikeouts. Dwayne Angebrandt went two scoreless innings after that with a pair of strikeouts. Dominic Miller pitched the fourth and allowed six runs (one earned). Chris Jones entered in the fifth and worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Joe Kinsky worked the sixth and allowed one earned run with two strikeouts.
Zach Berryman, Charlie Larson and Michael Peter paced the Wildcats with two hits apiece. Peter drove in three runs, while Larson and Austin Ohland added two RBI each. On the mound, Josh Touhey started and went the first five innings to get the win (2-2) allowing no runs. Nolan Miliman pitched the sixth allowing one unearned run. Riley Wingerson closed out the game in the seventh allowing one earned run.
WOU returns home to begin GNAC play this coming Friday and Saturday when they welcome Montana State Billings to Monmouth for doubleheaders each day starting at noon.
