MONMOUTH, Ore. – It was a strong Saturday for the Western Oregon University baseball team as they cruised to a pair of wins over Central Washington to take the series in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action. WOU pulled away in the middle innings of game one for the 8-2 win and then scored in five of the six innings in game two for the 9-3 win to sweep the doubleheader on the day and take the series 3-1.
Game one was strong pitching from Mike Peterson and Sebasten Boivin as the two limited Central Washington (8-15, 2-6 GNAC) to just two earned runs in nine innings. Peterson went the first 5.1 innings to end up with the no decision allowing the two earned runs with seven strikeouts. Boivin then ended up picking up the win (1-0) going the final 3.2 innings allowing just three hits over his scoreless outing.
That allowed the offense to get rolling for WOU (13-8, 6-2 GNAC) with Levi Cummings coming up big out of the nine spot in the lineup with three hits and an RBI. Anthony Zellner added two hits, two runs and an RBI. Spencer Weston and Justyn Herzog drove in two runs apiece.
It was tough sledding for either team over the first four innings. The Wildcats broke through first with a run in the second. It remained that way into the fifth. The Wolves got on the board plating a pair of runs. Zellner walked to open the frame, moving to second on a groundout and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Herzog cashed in with an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at one. Cummings followed with a single and then Weston closed the inning with an RBI single to left to leave WOU with the 2-1 lead after five.
Central Washington came back to tie the game with a run in the sixth.
WOU put the game away in the home half of the frame. Derek Maiben was hit-by-pitch and moved to second on a single by John Stark. After a fielder's choice out put runners at the corners, Zellner ripped a single through the right side to bring in Derek Maiben. Zach Valdez was also hit-by-pitch in the next at-bat to load the bases. Herzog was hit with a 1-1 pitch for the RBI and the 4-2 lead. Cummings then laid down a perfect bunt that turned into two runs when the throw from first base sailed to the back stop. Weston added the fifth run of the inning when he groundout out to short to bring in Herzog for the 7-2 lead.
The Wolves tallied a run in the seventh to close the scoring with Jackson Holstad singling in Derek Maiben who singled to open the inning and later stole second.
Boivin worked a 1-2-3 eighth and then worked around two hits in the ninth to close out the 8-2 victory.
Central Washington held the slight 11-10 edge in hits and committed the only two errors in the game.
Zach Berryman, Michael Copeland and Tyler McClain led the Wildcats with two hits apiece. On the mound, Ryan Arredondo started and went the first five innings, getting the no decision allowing two earned runs. Nolan Miliman took the loss (1-1) allowing four runs (three earned) in a third of an inning. Dylan Weese went the final 2.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned).
In game two, WOU plated runs in the first, second, third, fourth and sixth innings to run away with the victory.
Jacob Maiben and Stark paced the offense with two hits apiece, while Derek Maiben drove in two runs. On the mound, Parker Johnson was locked in, going five innings for his fourth win (4-1) of the season, allowing three runs (one earned) with four strikeouts. Chris Hardin went a scoreless third of an inning before Seth Kuykendall worked out of a tough jam in the sixth to get his second save of the year going 1.2 innings, allowing just a hit.
The weather conditions were challenging in the second game. After clear skies in the first game, the rain and wind moved in around the second inning of game two.
WOU started strong taking advantage of an error to score a run in the first inning. Weston reached on an error by the shortstop and moved to second on the error. Jacob Maiben moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt and then Derek Maiben drove him in with a groundout to short.
The Wolves posted two runs in the second. Zellner opened the inning with a single and later moved to third on a single by Ryan Witt. Cummings again laid down a perfect bunt that went down as a sacrifice scoring Zellner from third for the 2-0 lead. Weston followed and his hit out to second was misplayed allowing the third run to score for the 3-0 lead.
CWU got a run back in the third, but WOU answered right back in the home half. Stark opened the frame with a ringing double to deep left. Holstad moved him to third on a sacrifice bunt before Zellner drove him in with a groundout to short for the 4-1 lead.
The fourth inning saw WOU plate two more runs. An error opened the inning with the third baseman committing two errors to move Witt to second. After two outs, Jacob Maiben singled up the middle to bring in Witt. Derek Maiben singled through the left side to put runners at the corners. Then as Derek Maiben was going on the pitch, he stole second and the ball got away from the catcher for a wild pitch to score Jacob Maiben for the 6-1 lead.
The Wildcats threatened in the sixth. After loading the bases and bringing in a run, Kuykendall came in to a bases loaded and one out situation. He got a groundout that turned into a fielder's choice out and then a groundout out to third, limiting the damage to just two runs to leave WOU with the 6-3 lead.
WOU added a couple of insurance runs in the sixth. With Witt walking and Cummings reaching on a hit-by-pitch, Weston laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases. A wild pitch followed to bring in the first run of the inning. Jacob Maiben hit a shot down the left field line that was knocked down by the third baseman for a single to load the bases. Derek Maiben was hit-by-pitch for the RBI and then Holstad closed the scoring with an RBI sacrifice fly to right for the 9-3 lead.
Kuykendall stayed in to close out his save in the seventh getting a groundout and a pair of fly outs around a single to finish off the 3-1 series victory.
WOU held the 8-7 edge in hits and the teams combined for six errors in the weather, with four committed by the Wildcats.
Berryman led CWU with two hits. On the mound, Beau Kearsey started and went the first 3.2 innings to end up with the loss (0-4) allowing six runs (two earned). Drew Richardson, Jonathan Garza II and Reid Rasmussen finished off the final 2.1 innings.
Following another strong home series for the Wolves, WOU will hit the road this coming week traveling to Idaho to face Northwest Nazarene in a four-game series starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 2 p.m. (Pacific). The teams will close the series with another doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. (Pacific).
