SALEM, Ore. – In the third game of the last two days for the Corban University baseball team, the Warriors were unable to keep the Central Washington Wildcats' offense dormant, as they did in Friday's game two. The Wildcats scored seven runs on 14 hits en route to a 9-5 win in six innings over the Navy and Gold.
"Today was a grind of a day mentally with the weather," said head coach Derek Legg. "I thought our guys battled well. I'm excited to get the conference season started next weekend, and I think we will be ready after a good week of practice."
Warrior starter Hector Sepulveda had a rough outing in this one. He allowed seven hits and three earned runs. Though his outing was short-lived (three innings), he did tightrope out of danger in two of the three innings. In both the second and third innings, he stranded the bases loaded, allowing just one run in those two innings combined.
Jacob Bowser pitched the fourth inning for the Warriors, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits. The Wildcats were able to take advantage of pitch placement with Bowser and hit the pitches where they were thrown in the zone. Michael Peter pinch hit for Trevor Tripoli in the with ducks on the pond at second and third, and delivered a two-out double over the head of left fielder Bell for a two-run two-base hit.
The bottom half of the fourth inning was where the Warriors made their mark on the game, with a four run frame consisting of six straight batters reaching base safely to begin the stanza. Nate Cantonwine started things off with a single to right field, followed by a hit by pitch for Kairos Torres-Umi, a single by Bradley Thomas, an RBI base hit for Nick Healey which scored two runs because of a defensive miscue by the shortstop Derek Lohr. Jared Bell then dragged a bunt down the first base line for an infield hit, and Jack Ossenkop walked to force in a run. Zack Simon would then pick up an RBI fielder's choice to push the fourth tally of the inning across the plate.
Scoring resumed, however, in the top of the sixth with back-to-back home runs by Austin Ohland and Derek Lohr to stretch the CWU lead to four.
Both Ohland and Lohr led the team with 3-for-4 performances at the plate. Lohr was just a triple away from hitting for the cycle, while Ohland added two singles to his solo homer.
The fifth and sixth innings for Corban's offense were snuffed out by a strong pitching performance from Hunter French who earned his first save of the season for the Wildcats.
Sepulveda was charged with his second loss of the season in this one, while Central Washington hurler Tyler Hoefer threw 3+ innings and earned his second victory of the year for CWU.
Corban (4-11) will look forward to hosting next weekend's conference opener against College of Idaho. The first of back-to-back doubleheaders will be held on February 22, at 11 a.m., while the second will be the following day at the same time.
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