MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Mountaineers fell in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader, despite putting up a strong fight against Western Oregon, the reigning NCAA DII GNAC Champions from last season.
GAME 1
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Eastern Oregon’s comeback efforts fell short with Western Oregon claiming a 12-8 victory.
The Mountaineers started strong with three runs in the third inning, followed by another run in the fourth, leading 4-3 until Western Oregon’s explosive fifth inning where they scored six runs, taking a 9-4 lead. Eastern Oregon rallied in the sixth when Chase Nett powered a Grand Slam over the center field fence, cutting the deficit to just one run. However, the effort would not be enough as the Wolves extended their lead in the eighth and held on to the win.
Western Oregon’s offense was led by Collin Irwin who went 3-for-4 with a triple. John Oleson’s homer and three RBIs also played a crucial role in securing the win for the Wolves.
Chase Nett was the standout performer for Eastern Oregon, racking up four RBI off his grand slam. Trevor Baker and Mario Landeros also had respectable performances at the plate, recording two and one RBI each.
Pitching-wise, Dylan Chalmers of Western Oregon earned the win, going five innings and tossing four strikeouts. Shane Bailey also contributed to the Wolves’ pitching efforts, securing the save. Brock Cordes would be credited with the Mounties’ loss, allowing five runs in 4.0 innings pitched.
GAME 2
The second game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Eastern Oregon’s offense came alive, scoring four runs off singles from Rogelio Gonzales and Youhyeon Choi. However, Western Oregon quickly responded with a homer from Dylan Mohler, making the game sit at 4-1. Despite Eastern Oregon’s early efforts, Western Oregon rallied back with four runs in the fifth inning, claiming a 5-4 lead. The Wolves would then seal the game in the sixth inning with two additional runs, winning 7-4.
Tyler Mohler and Curran Mitzel led Western Oregon’s offense with three RBI each, while John Oleson contributed with three hits of his own.
Eastern Oregon’s offense was fueled by Choi and Gonzales, finishing with two RBI each.
Devin Bell earned the win in relief for the Wolves, pitching 1.1 innings without allowing a run. Bryce Bond and Chris Jones also contributed to Western Oregon’s pitching efforts, with Jones securing the save. Shane Sinclair started on the mound for Eastern Oregon, pitching four innings and allowing five runs in the loss.
The Mountaineers will have the opportunity to rematch the Wolves tomorrow in Monmouth, with Sunday’s first game set to get started at 11:00 a.m.
