Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Baseball opened the final weekend of Cascade Collegiate Conference play with a split against Corban University, taking game one 8-4 before falling 7-2 in game two.
Game 1
Corban struck first in the top of the second, rallying with two outs behind a double and two singles to take a 2-0 lead. The Warriors maintained that advantage through the fourth, adding another run on a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
Eastern Oregon responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Tommy Whiles led off with a single, followed by a walk from
Jaxon Logsdon.
Easton Espinoza then delivered a clutch double down the right field line, driving in both runners to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Mountaineers carried that momentum into the fifth and took the lead.
Jace Nagler opened the inning after being hit by a pitch and quickly moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Andre Demianew followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and later in the inning,
Mario Landeros singled to center to bring home Demianew and give Eastern a 4-3 advantage.
Eastern Oregon's defense held firm, limiting Corban's opportunities, while the offense added breathing room in the sixth. The Mounties plated three runs on a walk from Espinoza and base hits from
Tucker Zander, Nagler, and Demianew to stretch the lead to 7-3. Corban managed one run in the seventh, aided by two Eastern errors, but the Mountaineers answered in the eighth with three consecutive singles to tack on an insurance run and secure the 8-4 victory.
Easton Corey (3-7) earned the win, tossing 6.1 innings with five strikeouts.
Joey Weissenfels closed out the final 2.2 innings to collect his second save of the season. Jack Kovanen (4-8) took the loss for Corban.
Game 2
Corban jumped out to an early lead in game two, scoring in the first inning with the help of a Mountaineer error. The Warriors broke the game open in the second, plating three runs on five hits to build a 4-0 lead, and added another run in the third on a walk and a double.
The offense continued in the fourth, as a leadoff double from Colin McNeill and a bunt single by Chase Elliott set up a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0. Isaac Bateman added a solo home run in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-0.
On the mound, Brady Sprague, backed by a clean defensive effort, kept Eastern Oregon off the board through the first four innings. The Mountaineers broke through in the fifth when
Alex Olague launched a solo home run over the left field fence.
Eastern added one more run in the ninth on an RBI double from
Jace Nagler, but the Warriors maintained control throughout, securing the 7-2 win.
Sprague (2-6) went the distance, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out and walking four to earn the win. Jace Show (1-8) was charged with the loss for Eastern Oregon.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon and Corban will wrap up the series on April 26, with first pitch set for 11 a.m. The Mountaineers will honor their 12 seniors prior to the game, with a ceremony scheduled for 10:15 a.m.
