Game 1
Game 2
MONMOUTH, Ore. - Western Oregon University swept a conference doubleheader from the Crusaders this afternoon in Monmouth, winning the opener 5-0 and grabbing the nightcap 3-2 in extra innings.
Western Oregon's Grady Wood improved to 5-0 in game one, tossing a complete-game three-hitter at the Crusaders.
"The opener was the Grady Wood show," commented NNU head coach Tim Onofrei. "He's the reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Year and he showed it by doing a great job. I felt Charles (Pollock) pitched well for us, but we just couldn't get him any offense against Wood."
WOU (13-6, 2-0 GNAC) scored four runs on four hits in the third and one in the fifth after David Amberson led off with inning with a double.
Jon Matos and
Zach Steele each had singles for NNU (11-6, 0-2 GNAC) and
Charlie Gorzo doubled to lead off the eighth.
Game two saw the Crusaders tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth on a
Jamie Mitchell two-run single, but Western Oregon would load the bases in the bottom of the ninth and plate the game-winner when Michael Gange was hit by a
George Casper pitch.
The Wolves scored a pair of unearned runs in the second inning, taking advantage of two Crusader fielding errors.
"I felt we out-pitched and out-hit them in game two, but a pair of fielding errors and the hit by pitch cost us," Onofrei added.
Fernando Robles went 2 for 3 as the Crusaders finished with five hits against WOU's three.
Aaron Vaughn (1-2) took the loss in game two and Pollock (2-1) fell in the opener.
The teams will return tomorrow at Noon to complete the four-game GNAC series.