AZUSA, Calif. – The Western Oregon University baseball team was right there in both games against #24 Cal State Monterey Bay and #16 Azusa Pacific on Thursday to open the NCAA West Regional. The Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay used one big inning to pull away for the 6-3 victory. In the second game, the Cougars of Azusa Pacific held off a late rally by the Wolves to claim the 10-6 victory which eliminated WOU from the postseason.
In game one against Cal State Monterey Bay, the Otters (37-15) opened the scoring with a run in the first. WOU (34-20) evened the score in the third. Jacob Maiben started the frame with a single. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by his twin brother Derek Maiben, he moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Justyn Herzog for the 1-1 score.
The Wolves took the lead in the fourth. Leighton Moniz got things started with a one-out single. Anthony Zellner singled to put runners at first and second. After Spencer Weston flew out to center and moved Moniz to third, Levi Cummings singled to left to bring home Moniz for the 2-1 lead.
Mike Peterson kept CSUMB off the scoreboard over the next few innings before a solo HR tied the game in the fifth.
WOU answered right back to regain the lead in the sixth. Zellner doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Weston. Cummings delivered with a sacrifice fly to right to push the Wolves to the 3-2 lead.
The Otters tallied four runs on six hits in the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead.
WOU wasn't able to mount a rally over the final innings with CSUMB taking the 6-3 victory.
WOU held the 10-9 edge in hits and the Wolves committed the only error. Zellner led the Wolves with three hits, while Jacob Maiben added two hits. Cummings drove in two runs. On the mound, Peterson started and went the first five innings to take the loss (4-1) allowing six earned runs. Bryce Bond tossed two scoreless innings before Chris Hardin worked a scoreless eighth.
Jason Ajamian and Nathan Flores led the Otters with two hits apiece, while Ajamian drove in four runs. On the mound, Ethan McRae started and went the first eight innings to get the win (6-1) allowing three earned runs. Chris Tonna tallied the save tossing a scoreless ninth.
In game two against host Azusa Pacific (35-16), WOU opened the scoring in the first inning. Derek Maiben singled with one out and then stole second. With two outs, John Stark hit a fly ball that fell between the catcher and the pitcher for an RBI single and the 1-0 lead.
The Cougars answered with an unearned run in the home half of the inning to tie the game at one.
In the third, APU tallied four runs on four hits to push out to the 5-1 lead.
Cummings got a run back for the Wolves in the fifth when he opened the inning hitting a deep drive over the left field fence for a solo homer.
APU extended the lead in the sixth. A leadoff single was followed by a two-run home run to move the lead to 7-2.
The Cougars used the long ball again in the eighth getting a three-run shot to take the 10-2 lead.
WOU didn't go quietly in the ninth. Cummings was hit-by-pitch and after a fielder's choice out marked the second out, the Wolves got the offense rolling. Derek Maiben singled and after Herzog walked, the bases were loaded for Stark. Stark delivered hitting the 1-1 pitch deep over the right field fence for a grand slam to cut the deficit to four. Curran Mitzel kept the offense going with a single up the middle. The Cougars were able to escape further damage getting a strikeout to preserve the 10-6 win.
WOU held the 13-9 edge in hits and committed the only three errors in the game. Derek Maiben, Stark and Logan Ho all had three hits to lead the Wolves. Stark drove in five runs. Arturo Alvarez started and went the first five innings for the Wolves to end up with the loss (7-2) allowing five earned runs. Matthew Dunaway went the final three innings and allowed three earned runs.
Tido Robles and Omar Lopez led Azusa Pacific with two hits apiece. Casey O'Laughlin drove in three runs. On the mound, A.J. Woodall started and went the first eight innings to get the win (9-2) allowing two earned runs. David Wylie worked the ninth innings allowing four runs.
The 34-win season for the Wolves this year ties the high win total for head coach Kellen Walker leading the Wolves, matching the 34-win campaign of the 2013 team that also went 34-20.
