Freshman right-hander Cameron Walker spun a three-hit shutout Sunday afternoon at Warriors Field as Walla Walla defeated Olympic 5-0 to salvage the second game of a community college baseball doubhleheader.
The Rangers won the first game 2-1 despite strong showings by Warriors pitchers Colton Ayres and Lowden Smith, who combined on a six-hitter. Ayres pitched the first six innings and took the loss, although neither run scored against him was earned.
“Our pitchers threw well,” WWCC coach Dave Meliah said. “We didn’t give up an earned run all day.”
The split came one day after the Warriors swept a pair of games from Shoreline, 3-2 and 13-3, and Sunday’s twin bill completed the non-league portion of WWCC’s schedule.
The Warriors take a 10-6 season record into Wednesday’s Northwest Athletic Conference East Region opener against Treasure Valley. The doubleheader at Warriors Field begins at 1 p.m.
Walla Walla takes to the road for the first time this season Saturday when the Warriors travel to Pendleton to take on Blue Mountain in a 1 p.m. East twin bill.
“We had a solid preseason,” Meliah said. “Now it’s on to the games that really count. Our league will be tough from top to bottom, so we’ll have to play well every day out.”
Walker was masterful on the mound Sunday as he shackled the Rangers on three harmless singles. He struck out two and walked one and his teammates played perfect defense behind him.
Travis Haen, batting in the nine hole, singled, doubled and drove in two runs to pace an 11-hit Warriors attack. Steven Sordahl and Cody Price each contributed a single and double and knocked in a run, and Jarod Paul singled, doubled and scored twice. Michael Kilpatrick collected a single and a double and scored one run.
The Warriors could do little against Olympic’s Kaden Slade-White in the first game as they managed just three hits against the freshman righty. Slade-White struck out one and walked three in his complete-game effort.
Paul, Sordahl and Ryan Riepman all singled for Walla Walla, with Riepman driving home Sordahl for the Warriors’ lone run.
