Box Score WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Eastern Oregon Baseball went toe-to-toe with the Whitman Blues in a high-scoring non-conference battle Tuesday night, ultimately falling 21-19 in a back-and-forth contest.
Eastern struck first, plating a run in the opening inning by taking advantage of two Whitman errors. The early lead didn't last long, as the Blues answered with a big bottom half. A leadoff walk and RBI double got things started, and a pair of RBI singles helped Whitman push across four runs to jump ahead 4-1.
The Mountaineers responded quickly. In the second inning,
Jace Schow led off with a single and later came around to score with help from a Whitman error and a hit from
Jake Sauceda, trimming the deficit to one. Eastern kept the pressure on in the third, using free passes and aggressive baserunning to score twice—once on a wild pitch and again when Brown stole home—to even the game at 4-4.
Whitman regained control in the bottom of the third, capitalizing with two outs. A string of singles and a walk fueled a five-run inning that gave the Blues a comfortable lead once again.
Both teams traded runs in a busy fourth inning. Eastern mounted a two-out rally, highlighted by a two-run hit from Schow and another RBI single from
Easton Espinoza to close the gap. However, Whitman answered right back, scoring three runs of their own with the help of walks, a hit, and productive outs to extend their advantage to 12-7.
The Mountaineers refused to back down. In the fifth, they exploded for five runs to tie the game.
Andrew Demianew sparked the rally with a single and stolen base, and after a walk, Brown delivered an RBI hit. Schow came through again with a clutch three-run triple, and Sauceda followed with a game-tying single to make it 12-12. Whitman briefly reclaimed the lead with a solo home run in the bottom half.
Eastern answered again in the sixth. A leadoff walk set the table for Demianew, who drove in the tying run with a double. The Mountaineer pitching staff then held Whitman scoreless in the inning, keeping things even at 13-13.
After a quiet seventh, Eastern grabbed the lead in the eighth.
Jace Nagler worked a leadoff walk, and Demianew delivered once more with a two-run home run to put the Mounties ahead 15-13. Eastern followed that with a quick shutdown inning on defense.
In the ninth, the Mountaineers added valuable insurance runs. Schow reached and advanced aggressively before scoring on a wild pitch. A series of walks forced in another run, and Brown capped the inning with a two-RBI single, giving Eastern a 19-13 cushion heading into the final frame.
Whitman made one last push in the bottom of the ninth. After loading the bases, Sam Mieszkowski doubled to bring in two runs. Two wild pitches added two more, cutting the lead to 19-16. Following a pitching change, the Blues added another run on a sacrifice fly to pull within one. Then, with two outs, Noah Braunel delivered the decisive blow—a walk-off three-run home run that completed the comeback and gave Whitman a 21-19 victory.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon returns to conference play on Saturday, April 11, hosting Lewis-Clark State College. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
