SALEM, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Baseball dropped both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Corban, falling 9–1 and 13–5 to close out the four-game series. The Mountaineers finished the weekend 1–3 overall and 1–2 in conference play.
Game 3
For the second consecutive day,
Jace Nagler opened the game with a first-pitch home run, putting the Mountaineers on the board immediately. Eastern threatened to add more with two additional baserunners in the inning, but Corban escaped while allowing just the lone run.
The Warriors responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead. A double followed by a triple brought in the first run, and with the bases loaded, a walk pushed across the go-ahead run.
Corban extended its lead in the second inning with a sacrifice fly that scored another run. The Warriors continued to build momentum, adding one run on two hits in the third and four runs on four hits and a walk in the fourth to take an 8–1 advantage.
Eastern's pitching settled in over the middle innings, limiting Corban to just one hit over the next four frames before the Warriors added their final run in the eighth.
The Mountaineers struggled to generate offense against Corban's pitching staff, recording just five hits and putting only three additional runners on base after the opening-inning home run.
Robert Hays Jr. (2–3) earned the win for Corban, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing one run and one walk.
Reed Stamps (0–1) took the loss for Eastern after three innings of work.
Game 4
Eastern found more offensive success in the series finale, but it wasn't enough to overcome Corban's consistent scoring.
With the bases loaded in the opening inning,
Jason DeBone delivered a two-RBI single to give the Mountaineers an early 2–0 lead. Corban answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs on four hits to even the score.
The Warriors took the lead in the second inning on a solo home run from Peyton Rickard. Eastern threatened again in the third, loading the bases on two hits and a walk, but Corban worked out of the jam to maintain the advantage. Corban added to its lead in the fourth on a two-run home run from Colin McNeill.
The Mountaineers fought back to tie the game late. DeBone recorded another RBI single in the fifth, and Eastern evened the score in the sixth on an RBI double from Nagler and a sacrifice fly from
Lucas Smith.
The tie was short-lived, however, as the Warriors responded with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Corban then broke the game open in the seventh, plating five runs on four hits to extend the lead to 13–5.
Despite two more innings at the plate, Eastern was unable to mount another comeback and ultimately fell 13–5.
Corban relied heavily on its bullpen in the finale, using four pitchers, with Christian Pederson (1–0) earning the win after one inning of work. Eastern also turned to its bullpen, with six Mountaineers appearing in relief.
Gabe Smitherman (0–1) was charged with the loss.
Up Next
The Mountaineers remain on the road next weekend as they travel to face Warner Pacific in a conference series beginning March 14. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
