MONMOUTH, Ore. – In what has been a strength all season long shined again for the Western Oregon University baseball team on Saturday. A pair of top pitching efforts from Arturo Alvarez and Parker Johnson helped lead the Wolves to a sweep and series win against Saint Martin's. WOU took game one by a score of 2-1 behind Alvarez's seven strong innings and then completed the DH sweep when Johnson went seven shutout innings for the 8-0 victory in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

While the pitching took center stage, Logan Ho had a season debut to remember knocking in five runs on the day to lead the offense.

In the opener, Alvarez improved to 4-0 on the season with his seven inning gem. He allowed just one unearned run, while adding six strikeouts. Matthew Dunaway finished off the final two innings in style working two scoreless innings without allowing a hit for his first save of the season.

Saint Martin's (10-23, 5-11 GNAC) opened the scoring in the top of the first and it would turn out to be their lone run of the day. Following an error and a single, another error allowed the first run to score for the 1-0 lead.

Alvarez kept the Saints off the board the rest of the way which gave the offense time to get going. In the fourth, WOU (18-12, 10-6 GNAC) took the lead for good. Derek Maiben opened the inning being hit-by-pitch. Ho then picked up his first hit of the season on a hit-and-run when he smoked a double to deep left-center to bring in Derek Maiben. A few batters later, the Wolves loaded the bases for Curran Mitzel. Mitzel battled and was eventually hit-by-pitch to tally the RBI and move WOU to the 2-1 lead.

Alvarez worked around a triple in the fifth and then tallied a big double play in the seventh to close out his strong start.

Dunaway then entered in the eighth getting a 1-2-3 inning. In the ninth, he worked around a leadoff error to get a pop out, strikeout and line out to end the game with WOU taking the 2-1 victory.

Each team tallied three hits on the day and there were four errors in the contest, three committed by WOU. Jacob Maiben, Leighton Moniz and Ho all had the hits for the Wolves with Ho adding an RBI.

Aaron Renaud had two hits for the Saints. On the mound, Troy McCormick started and went the first four innings to end up with the loss (0-5) after allowing the two earned runs. The bullpen worked the final four innings and didn't allow a run.

In the second game, Johnson dominated over his seven innings to improve to 5-2 on the season. After allowing a leadoff single, he didn't allow another hit and issued only one free pass. He added six strikeouts and threw just 64 pitches.

The offense backed him up with Ho adding three hits and driving in four. Jacob Maiben also had three hits and two runs scored. Zach Valdez added a pair of hits and an RBI. Derek Maiben drove in two and scored a pair of runs.

Scoreless through the first two innings, WOU tallied all the offense they would need in the third. With one out, Jacob Maiben hit a ringing double down the left field line. After the second out was recorded, Derek Maiben walked to set the table for Ho. Ho worked the count to 2-1 before connecting on a double to right to score both runs and move WOU to a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Levi Cummings walked to start the inning. Jacob Maiben added a single and then brother Derek Maiben drove in a run with a double that fell between outfielders for the 3-0 lead. Jacob Maiben scored shortly after on a wild pitch. Ho continued his big day as he followed with an RBI single through the right side to stretch the lead to 5-0.

WOU closed the scoring in the sixth. Justyn Herzog started the frame strong when he nearly picked up a solo homer to right, but as the ball hit about two-thirds of the way up the wall, he turned it into a leadoff triple. Valdez wasted no time bringing him home with an RBI single to center. The Wolves then took advantage of a couple of defensive miscues that allowed two baserunners to reach on errors. Derek Maiben hit a sacrifice fly to center and then Ho closed the scoring with an RBI single to right for the 8-0 lead.

Johnson closed it out in the seventh getting a fly out, strikeout and line out for the 8-0 victory.

WOU held the 10-1 edge in hits and Saint Martin's committed all four errors in the game.

Hunter Kosmider had the only hit for the Saints. Finnley Butler started for the Saints going the first four innings to take the loss (1-1) allowing three earned runs. The bullpen went the final two innings allowing five runs (three earned).

With the 3-1 series win and Northwest Nazarene idle this week, WOU moves to within a game of the Nighthawks for first-place in the GNAC standings.

WOU will turn around to play a midweek game against George Fox this coming Tuesday at home starting at 2 p.m. at the WOU Baseball Field.