MONMOUTH, Ore. – Derek Maiben was all over the bases on Friday to help lead the Western Oregon University baseball team to a split against Central Washington in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at the WOU Baseball Field. WOU took game one, 6-5, and then rallied before falling just short in the second game with the Wildcats taking the 7-5 win.
Derek Maiben put together a big day. He had three hits in both games to finish with six, while adding four runs, three stolen bases and two RBI. Spencer Weston added a multi-hit game in the opener, while Jackson Holstad and Anthony Zellner added two hit games in the nightcap.
WOU (11-8, 4-2 GNAC) started strong in the first game and eventually moved out to a 6-0 lead. In the first inning, the Wolves delivered a two-out rally. Derek Maiben started the rally with a single through the right side. He then stole second before John Stark drew a full-count walk. Holstad came through with the RBI single on an 0-2 pitch to right to score Derek Maiben for the 1-0 lead.
The Wolves added to the lead in the second with another two-out rally. With Justyn Herzog reaching off of a throwing error by the first baseman, he would move to second on a groundout. Weston delivered the two-out hit this time with a single to left-center to score Herzog for the 2-0 lead.
It was a big fourth to help WOU expand the lead out to six. Zach Valdez opened the frame with a single and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following the second out, the Wolves again put together a two-out rally. Valdez moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single through the right side by Weston for the 3-0 lead. After moving to second on a wild pitch, a throwing error by the third baseman kept the inning going. Derek Maiben cashed in with a two-run single to right-center for the 5-0 lead. Stark closed the frame with an RBI single to left for the 6-0 lead.
Arturo Alvarez cruised through nearly six innings for the Wolves, going 5.2 innings and allowing just one earned run to pick up his third win (3-0) of the season.
Central Washington (8-13, 2-4 GNAC) didn't go away quietly. The Wildcats plated a run in the sixth and then another in the eighth before making things interesting in the ninth. CWU was able to load the bases during their last at-bat, with Austin Ohland driving in a run with a single. After a foul out marked the second out, Michael Copeland singled to center to score two more runs and leave the Wolves with the 6-5 lead. Seth Kuykendall buckled down and closed it out from there getting a groundout to end the game with WOU taking the 6-5 victory.
CWU held the slight 11-10 edge in hits with the teams combining for five errors, four committed by the Wildcats.
Dereak Maiben and Weston each drove in two runs, with Stark and Holstad adding RBI hits. Seven players in the lineup had at least a hit. In addition to Alvarez on the mound, Sebasten Boivin worked 2.1 innings, allowing just one run. Kuykendall then pitched the ninth inning, allowing three runs.
Tyler McClain paced the Wildcats with three hits, while Copeland and Drew Richardson added two hits apiece. Copeland drove in a pair of runs. On the mound, Jake Bradley started and ended up with the loss (0-2) allowing six runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings. Nolan Murphy went the next 2.2 innings and didn't allow a run. Jacob Goudzwaard went the final 1.2 innings and also didn't allow a run.
Game two featured Central Washington taking the lead and the Wolves battling back multiple times to play it right down to the wire.
The Wildcats jumped ahead right away in the first inning when Charlie Larson connected on a two-run homer to left for the 2-0 lead.
WOU came right back in the home half. Jacob Maiben and Derek Maiben hit back-to-back singles to set the table for the inning. A catcher's interference allowed Stark to reach to load the bases. With the second out recorded, yet another two-out rally started for the Wolves with Zellner singled to center to score both runners to tie the game at two.
It stayed that way into the fourth when Central Washington tallied three runs on five hits to take the 5-2 lead.
The Wolves tied the game again in the fifth. Jacob Maiben opened the frame being hit-by-pitch. Derek Maiben then doubled to right to put runners at second and third. Stark grounded out, but brought home Jacob Maiben. Following a pitching change, Holstad jumped on the first pitch against the new pitcher and hit a ringing single to left to bring in Derek Maiben and cut the deficit to one. Holstad later stole second and then stole third, just in time to come home on a throwing error by the shortstop to score Holstad with the tying run at 5-5.
CWU put together their own two-out rally in the sixth getting an RBI single by Adam Fahsel to regain the lead at 6-5. The Wildcats added an insurance run in the seventh getting another two-out RBI hit, this time by McClain to move out to a 7-5 lead.
It would be a battle to close the game out in the home half of the seventh for the Wildcats. Three of the five batters for the Wolves worked the count full. Derek Maiben opened the frame walking. Stark then just missed tying the game when he hit a deep drive to left-center that marked the first out. Following the second out, Zellner worked the count full before reaching on a single to second to put runners at the corners. Valdez then hit a shot deep in the hole between third and shortstop that the shortstop was able to get to and his throw across the diamond was just in time to get the final out and preserve the 7-5 win for CWU.
CWU also held the 13-9 hits edge in game two and committed the only two errors in the game. Derek Maiben tallied another three-hit game, scoring two runs. Holstad and Zellner added two-hit games with Holstad scoring a run and driving in another. Zellner drove in a pair of runs. On the mound, Bryce Bond started and went the first 3.1 innings to end up with the no decision allowing five runs and posting five strikeouts. Dwayne Angebrandt was solid in relief, going 2.0 innings and allowing just one run with five strikeouts. He ended up with the tough-luck loss (0-1). Chris Hardin went the final 1.2 innings, coming away with five strikeouts and allowed just one run.
McClain led the Wildcats with three hits. Zach Berryman, Fahsel, Larson and Michael Peter all added two hits. Larson and Trevor Tripoli drove in two runs apiece. On the mound, Josh Touhey started and went the first 4.1 innings to end up with the no decision allowing four runs (two earned). Brayde Hirai picked up the win (1-0) in relief going the final 2.2 innings, allowing one unearned run.
WOU and CWU will close out their four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday with a new start time of 10 a.m. at the WOU Baseball Field. The teams will try to be weather that is expected to arrive later in the afternoon.
