MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University baseball team had a pair of strong starts and that's all they needed to sweep two from Northwest Nazarene on Friday in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Mike Peterson went seven shutout innings for the 3-0 win in game one and then Seth Kuykendall went 6.2 shutout innings in game two for the 2-0 win. WOU now moves to first-place in the conference standings with the wins.
Peterson improved to 2-0 on the season with his game one effort allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out seven in his shutout seven innings. Matthew Dunaway came on to close it out and did so in style striking out four over the final two innings to record his second save of the year.
In the nightcap, Kuykendall matched Peterson's effort tossing 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk, while adding four strikeouts to improve to 5-3 on the season. Bryce Bond came on for the final out in the seventh getting a strikeout for his first save of the year.
With the wins, WOU is now 17-9 in GNAC play (27-15 overall), pulling a game ahead of Northwest Nazarene who falls to 16-10 (24-18 overall) on the season and into second in the conference standings.
In game one, Peterson was able to work around a few early jams to keep the game scoreless. With the bases loaded and one out in the third, Peterson was able to get through the heart of the Nighthawks order to keep the game scoreless. He was able to strikeout Grant Kerry on three pitches and then get Duke Pahukoa to hit a fielder's choice groundout to short to retire the side. Those two batters entered the series with a combined 15 home runs and 50 RBI. In the fourth, Peterson worked around a pair of singles to get a pop out to leave the runners stranded.
WOU then took the lead for good in the home half of the fourth. Derek Maiben opened the inning with a double to left. He quickly scored on the next pitch when John Stark singled to left for the 1-0 lead. After two outs were recorded, Zach Valdez walked and Jackson Holstad delivered a two-out double to left-center to bring in Stark and push the lead to 2-0.
The Wolves added the final run in the sixth. With Leighton Moniz on via a walk and two outs, Valdez singled to put runners on the corners. After a pitching change, Holstad came through with another big two-out hit when he singled up the middle to score Moniz for the 3-0 lead.
Peterson worked a 1-2-3 seventh before handing the ball off to Dunaway. Dunaway worked a 1-2-3 eighth and then worked around a leadoff single in the ninth by striking out the side for the 3-0 victory.
WOU held the 6-5 edge in hits and the Wolves committed the only error in the game. Derek Maiben and Holstad led the offense with two hits apiece, while Holstad drove in two runs.
Tyler Best led NNU with two hits, while Spencer Schwehr started and went the first 5.2 innings to end up with the loss (2-4) allowing three earned runs. Joseph Ilhli went the final 2.1 innings and didn't allow a run.
In game two, Kuykendall and Brock Moffitt went toe-to-toe in a pitcher's duel that went right down to the wire. While there was no score through the first five innings, each team had a chance to score in the earlier innings.
In the first, Jacob Maiben was hit-by-pitch and later stole second with one out. Moffitt was able to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
After both pitchers retired the side in the second and third innings, NNU threatened in the fourth. With runners on the corners and one out, Kerry later stole second to put two in scoring position. Kuykendall made big pitches when needed striking out Pahukoa looking on the ninth pitch and then got a fly out to right field to keep the game scoreless.
Stark was in scoring position in the home half of the fourth when he doubled on the first pitch with two outs. Moffitt left him stranded getting a groundout to short.
Both pitchers worked 1-2-3 fifth innings setting the table for the sixth. Kuykendall allowed just a two-out single before getting a fielder's choice groundout to second to end the inning. In the home half, WOU scored the only runs of the game to take the lead for good.
Levi Cummings fell behind 0-2 and then singled just over the shortstop to left to open the sixth. Jacob Maiben followed by laying down a perfect bunt up the third base line. Moffitt fielded the ball and tried to make the play at first, but his throw went wide allowing both runners to move up to second and third on the bunt single and throwing error. Herzog brought in the first run of the game hitting a grounder to third that turned into a fielder's choice as the Nighthawks tried to cut down Cummings at the plate. Cummings was able to avoid the tag for the 1-0 lead. Derek Maiben followed hitting a shot out to right field for the sacrifice fly and RBI to push the lead to 2-0.
In the seventh, Kuykendall tallied a groundout and strikeout before a full-count walk kept the game alive. Bond then came on in relief and was able to record the full-count strikeout to preserve the 2-0 win and sweep the doubleheader for the Wolves.
There were only six combined hits in the game, three for each team and NNU committed the only error in the game. Jacob Maiben, Stark and Cummings had the hits for WOU, while Herzog and Derek Maiben each had an RBI.
Three players had a hit to lead NNU, while on the mound, Moffitt went all six innings to end up with the loss (3-2), allowing the two unearned runs.
WOU and NNU will close out their four-game series tomorrow (Saturday) with another doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the WOU Baseball Field. It will also be Senior Day for the 11 WOU seniors who will be honored before the first game.
