WALLA WALLA — It took three pitchers in the ninth inning for the Warriors to escape with a 9-7 win over Blue Mountain in the first game of their baseball doubleheader Saturday.
In contrast, Kalani Omoto went all the way in the nightcap, pitching eight innings of one-run ball as the Warriors picked up the win, 11-1, and the sweep over the last-place Timberwolves.
With the wins, the Warriors (17-5 overall, 8-4 East Region) pull into second place in the East, two games back of region-leading Treasure Valley.
“It was a sloppy way for us to end the first game and I was a little worried that it would carry over into game two,” WWCC coach Dave Meliah said, “but we came out with some intensity and put four on them in the first (inning of the nightcap), which was nice to see.”
Omoto struck out three and walked four in his outing. BMCC scored it’s lone run with an RBI triple in the fifth, but Omoto’s night didn’t end without drama.
After striking out the first two batters to start the eighth, Omoto gave up two consecutive base hits and a walk to load the bases.
Down 8-1 at that point, BMCC first baseman Alex Storaci stepped into the batter’s box with a chance to bring the Timberwolves back into the game, but instead hit a ball to center field where “Trevor Jones made a heck of a diving grab to end the threat,” Meliah noted.
WWCC scored three more runs in the bottom of the inning to end the game early thanks to the 10-run mercy rule.
The Warriors next visit Spokane for a doubleheader Wednesday at 1 p.m.
