MONMOUTH, Ore. – Jackson Holstad entered the game in the seventh and made a big impact down the stretch with his game-winning double to score Hibiki Ouchi in the 10th inning to send the Western Oregon University baseball team to the 3-2 win over George Fox on Tuesday afternoon at the WOU Baseball Field.
Leading up to the walk-off hit, the teams went toe-to-toe on the mound throughout most of the game. Scoreless through the first three innings, George Fox (17-16) opened the scoring in the fourth. A two-run double pushed the Bruins to the 2-0 lead.
WOU (19-12) tied the game in the sixth. Derek Maiben, Logan Ho and Ouchi all walked to load the bases with one out. Jack Strickland worked a 1-1 count before being hit-by-pitch to bring in the run. Leighton Moniz then tied the game with a solid RBI single to right. The Bruins worked out of the bases-loaded jam getting a pair of strikeouts to keep the game tied.
Michael Moore was able to strand a pair of baserunners in the seventh getting back-to-back strikeouts. That followed a big relief appearance from Chris Hardin in the sixth when he entered with two on and was able to get a pair of strikeouts with runners at second and third.
With the pitching holding the upper hand, the game stretched into extra innings. Seth Kuykendall tossed another scoreless inning in the top of the 10th that set the table for the Wolves in the home half. With the first two outs recorded, Ouchi ripped a double down into the left field corner. Holstad followed and he connected on a 3-1 pitch lining it into the right-center gap for a game-winning RBI double.
George Fox held the 9-6 edge in hits and each team committed an error. Six Wolves had a hit in the game with Holstad, Moniz and Strickland coming up with the RBI. On the mound, Dominic Miller started going the first two innings allowing no runs with two strikeouts. Joe Kinsky followed ad pitched two innings allowing two earned runs with three strikeouts. Curran Mitzel went 1.1 innings and didn't allow a run. Hardin finished the sixth getting the final two outs via strikeouts. Moore worked a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts. Bryce Bond pitched a scoreless eighth as he struck out the side. Kuykendall then picked up the win (3-2) going the final two innings, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.
Nakamura led the Bruins with three hits, while White and Williams added two hits apiece. Williams drove in both runs. On the mound, nine pitchers saw time for George Fox. Everyone pitched an inning except for Abbott who went 1.2 innings with four strikeouts and Meffert who went two innings. Simpson ended up with the loss (0-1) allowing the game-winning run in the 10th.
WOU will have a quick turnaround as they will travel to Montana this Friday and Saturday for GNAC play against Montana State Billings beginning with a doubleheader on Friday at 12 p.m. (Pacific).
