MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon baseball team shook off its slow start to the season last week and took both ends of a doubleheader against Eastern Oregon, 12-8 and 7-4, on a rainy Saturday at WOU Baseball Field.
In game one, the Wolves (2-4) used a six-run fifth inning - highlighted by a two-run double from
Zach Valdez - to take a 9-4 lead only to see the Mountaineers (5-4) rally with a grand slame in the next half inning to cut the lead to one.
But WOU got some insurance in the eighth with a three-run homer by
John Oleson and strong performance out of the bullpen from
Shane Bailey to pick up the win.
Dylan Chalmers got the win, going five innings and giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Bailey got the save as the freshman tossed a scoreless final 3.2 innings - giving up just three hits while striking out one.
In game two, the Wolves found themselves behind 4-0 going into the bottom of the fourth before a
Tyler Mohler solo homer cut the Mountaineers' lead to three. WOU in the fifth scored four runs - a two-run double from
Curran Mitzel and a two-run double by Mohler to give the Wolves a 5-4 lead. WOU picked up insurance in the sixth on a
Justyn Herzog RBI single and a Mitzel RBI single.
The bullpen shined for the Wolves in game two as
Devin Bell,
Bryce Bond and
Chris Jones combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. Bell got the win - going 1.1 innings and giving up no hits. Bond got out of a huge jam in the sixth with runners on second and third and no outs - getting a pair of strikeouts and a flyout. Jones picked up the save, going an inning and picking up two strikeouts.
Mohler finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double, three RBI and a run. Mitzel went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run, Oleson finished 3-for-4 with a run and
Zach Valdez was 2-for-3.
The two teams close out the four-game series with a doubleheader Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in Monmouth.
