Western Oregon University Wolves

NAMPA, Idaho --- The Western Oregon baseball team came up just a few outs short of a magical run to the GNAC Championships title as the Wolves fell 7-6 on a walk-off hit to Northwest Nazarene on Friday at Vail Field.
 
WOU, which made a hard-charging run in the final week of the season to even make the tournament, entered Friday needing to win one game to claim its seventh title after going 2-0 Thursday, but fell in the first game Friday 18-4 to NNU before dropping the second game.
 
In the second game, WOU fell behind 4-0 in the first two innings before scoring six unanswered runs – capped by a three-run seventh with RBI singles from Chris Arce, Robby Shepherd and Gunnar Shiotani to make it 6-4.
 
The Wolves were able to rally thanks to an outstanding relief effort from Hunter Lutman who threw 6.1 scoreless inning before an error and allowing an RBI double to start the ninth ended his evening as the Nighthawks eventually rallied for the win – scoring on a sacrifice fly to end it.
 
Shepheard finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, Jayger Baldwin was 2-for-4 with a run, Zane Garvey finished 2-for-5 with a run and Shiotani had a team-high two RBI.
 
In the first game, the Wolves fell behind 7-0 after three and a half and never recovered in the loss setting up the winner-take-all matchup.
 
Arce blasted a pair of solo homers for WOU to lead the way while Garvey added a pair of hits as well.
 
Logan Larrance, Collin Irwin, Arce, Garvey, Lutman and Baldwin were named to All-Tournament Team as the Wolves finish the season 24-27.