SALEM, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Baseball dropped a hard-fought series this weekend at Corban University as the Mountaineers were swept by the Warriors. Each contest was close and was decided by no more than four runs. With the four-game series loss, EOU's record falls to 4-24 overall and 4-20 in CCC play.
 
Day 1 – Corban 11, EOU 7 (Game 1) | Corban 8, EOU 6 (Game 2)
How it Happened
• Both teams put up 10 hits in the series opener but EOU had two errors in the first game, while Corban (15-25, 14-14 CCC) played a clean game.
• The Mountaineers grabbed the game's first lead scoring three runs in the second inning to go ahead 3-0. Matt Garcia drew a leadoff walk and three batters later Kagen Kennedy plated him home with an RBI groundout to the shortstop.
• Juan Guardado made it a 2-0 lead with a ground-rule double to left field to score Trevor Curl. Guardado then extended the lead to second after a stealing home plate. Starter Mason Farnsworth then worked a 1-2-3 frame to close the third and keep it at 3-0.
• The Mountaineers' lead grew to 5-0 in the third with two more runs scored. Dane Kelsey got on base with a one-out double. Garcia then delivered a two-run homer to left field to score himself and Kelsey and put EOU up by five.
• Despite the surge from EOU, Corban responded scoring two runs in the third and three in the fourth to tie the contest at 5-all. The Warriors also held EOU to without a run in five of the final six innings of play.
• Helping Corban score the two runs in the third were two errors by the Mountaineers combined with two hits to make it a 5-2 game after three. A one-out triple followed by an RBI single in the fourth scored the first run for Corban. The Warriors then hit a double two batters later to plate home two and tie the game.
• The Warriors grabbed their first lead of the day in the sixth scoring three runs to go ahead 8-5. An RBI double in the third at bat of the frame scored the first run to make it 6-5. Corban then got two runners on base following a pitching change and scored both with a two RBI single to deep left center field.
• Eastern got within one in the top of the seventh inning scoring two runs. Carsten Manderbach led off with a single to get one base followed by a hit by pitch on Brooks Dyer. Both were brought in on a Curl two RBI single up the middle to make it an 8-7 game.
• Corban answered in the bottom half of the seventh tacking on three more runs to bring the score to its final of 11-7. A sacrifice fly scored the first run to make it 9-7 before a triple to center field brought in two more runs to give the Warriors their final lead by four runs.
• Game two was another close fight as the Mountaineers managed to outhit the Warriors 13-8, but fell by two runs. Eastern committed just one error in the contest, while Corban played another clean game.
• Corban grabbed the first lead of the game this time around. An RBI single to the shortstop scored the first run before a two RBI double to deep right center field made it a 3-0 lead for the Warriors after the first.
• Eastern got within one in the second inning scoring a pair of runs. Adrian Roa hit a two RBI single to right to score Payton Hamilton and Easton Watterson. Corban responded by getting a run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI base hit to left to go back in front by two, 4-2.
• The Mountaineers made it a 4-3 score in the top of the third thanks to another RNI base hit from Hamilton. Garcia doubled to left field to get on and was scored on a single from Hamilton up the middle to make it a one-run game. The score remained at 4-3 until the sixth inning.
• Starter Nick Jennings found a rhythm over the next three innings to keep the Mountaineers within one. He worked a three up, three down frame in the all three innings, which allowed the Mountaineers to eventually tie the game in the sixth.
• Plating home the tying run for Eastern in the top of the sixth was Roa who hit an RBI single to left center to bring in Jonathan Gonzalez. It remained 4-4 until the bottom of the seventh when Corban scored two runs to go ahead 6-4. A double to left center scored the first run followed by a throwing error from EOU which allowed the second run to come in.
• The Warriors final two runs of the day came in the eighth inning when they hit a two-run homer to left field that put them up by four at 8-4. The Mountaineers looked to rally back in the ninth and scored two runs before the Warrior closed out the game. Garcia hit a two-run home run in the frame to score himself and Blake Loftus to bring the score to its final of 8-6.
 
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Matt Garcia totaled four hits on the day to go along with four RBI and four runs scored. He was 2-4 in game one and 2-5 in game two. He had a pair of runs scored and two RBI in both games.
• Dane Kelsey was 2-3 in the opener with a run scored. Trevor Curl tallied two RBI and scored a run while batting 1-4.
• Juan Guardado was 2-4 in game one with a run scored and an RBI.
• Jacob Farnsworth went 5.1 innings in game one and struck out eight batters in the loss.
• Adrian Roa was 2-4 in game two with three RBI.
• Nick Jennings pitched seven complete in the game two start. He struck out four batters in the loss.
 
Day 2 – Corban 7, EOU 4 (Game 3) | Corban 6, EOU 3 (Game 4)
How it Happened
• In game three Corban totaled 10 hits while Eastern had eight. The two teams had just three total errors in the game with two coming from Corban.
• Juan Guardado plated home the first run of the day and gave EOU the 1-0 lead in the first inning. He hit a base hit to left field to score Blake Loftus for the RBI. The Warriors answered in the bottom of the second inning scoring three runs to jump ahead 3-1. Three hits combined with the lone error of the day by EOU allowed the Warriors to go in front by two.
• The Mountaineers cut the score to 3-2in the top of the third. Guardado once again hit an RBI single to score Brooks Dyer. Corban pushed the lead back to two runs with an RBI double to left in the bottom of the third to stay in front by a score of 4-2.
• The Warriors added on a run in the fourth and fifth, respectively, to go ahead 6-2. An RBI double from the Warriors in the fourth scored the lone run while a single to right in the fifth inning gave them a four-run advantage.
• Both squads worked a 1-2-3 outing in the sixth to move over to the seventh with relative quickness. The Mountaineers final two runs of the game came in the top of the seventh. Loftus hit a triple down the right field line to score Justin Frederick before an RBI single from Dyer scored Loftus to make it a 6-4 game.
• The final run for the Warriors came in the leadoff at bat in the bottom of the eighth. Corban hit a solo home run to left field to push the score to 7-4. The Mountaineers managed to get a pair of hits in the ninth but were unable to mount the comeback and fell by three.
• Both teams posted seven hits in the series finale and combined for three errors in the contest. Corban had just one while EOU posted two.
• A solo home run in the bottom of the first by Corban made it a 1-0 game early on. The mountaineers managed to get out the first two batters before the Warriors delivered the solo shot to left field.
• EOU grabbed its first lead in the third inning scoring two runs. Guardado hit a two RBI double to left center field to score Matt Garcia and Blake Loftus and give eastern a 2-1 edge. Corban answered in the bottom of the inning with a two RBI double to the same location to go back in front by one, 3-2.
• The Warriors worked a 1-2-3 top of the fourth to get back on offense quickly. The Mountaineers managed to get two out against Corban but three-straight hits by the Warriors plated home the two runs to make it a 5-2 game.
• The final run for both teams came in the seventh inning. For Eastern, Garcia got on base with an RBI fielder's choice that allowed Adrian Roa to score after he led off with a single. A fielding error in the bottom of the seventh by the Mountaineers allowed a Warriors runner to come in and brought the game to its final of 6-3.
 
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Juan Guardado had four RBI in the two with two coming in each game. He was 2-4 in game three and 1-4 in game four.
• Brooks Dyer batted 2-4 in both games of day two. In game three he was able to score a run and had an RBI.
• Adrian Roa went 2-4 in game three and in the finale, he finished 1-3 with a run scored.
• Kolbe Bales struck out eight batters in game three in a relief effort. Starter Jaydon Yancey had five strikeouts in the loss.
• Kyle Lund, Kyle Knudtson, and Tristan Fergus all tallied two strikeouts in game four.
 
By the Numbers
2 – EOU hit its first two home runs of the season this weekend, with both coming from Matt Garcia.
19 – The Mountaineers had 19 RBI in the series at Corban.
3 – EOU has now been swept in in three CCC series this season.
13 – The 13 strikeouts by EOU in game three of the series matches the highest in a single game this year.
4 – EOU allowed just four walks in each of the final three games against Corban after giving up 11 in game one.
 
Up Next
• The Mountaineers are back home this weekend for a four-game tilt against the Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls. The series against OIT is set to take place April 24-25 in La Grande.

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