A trio of Walla Walla pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout Sunday afternoon as the Warriors defeated Green River 5-0 to complete a sweep of their non-league community college baseball doubleheader.
The Warriors claimed the first game 8-3 and broke even for the weekend after dropping a pair of games to Lower Columbia College on Saturday, also at Warriors Field.
“We played a lot better Sunday,” WWCC coach Dave Meliah said. “Our mentality was way different. When we are not focused and paying attention to detail, we are not very good. But when we do the little stuff, we play well.
“That’s the point of the preseason, to try and find that consistent approach and consistent mentality.”
Griffin Davis worked the first seven inning on the hill in the nightcap and checked the Gators on just two hits. He chalked up five strikeouts and walked just one.
Connor Morfin pitched a perfect eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts, and Brady Simmelink allowed one hit and fanned three in his one inning on the mound.
Austin Kopacz and Gibson McGeorge collected two hits each to pace the Warriors’ eight-hit offensive attack. Blake Macdonald, Cody Price and Ryan Riepma each drove in a run.
Clayton Ayres and Dylan Whitney had two hits each in the first game, with Whitney driving home two runs and Ayres one. Kopacz, Dylan Wilbert and Cody Price had one RBI each.
Jake Simmons started on the mound and scattered eight hits over seven innings. He struck out eight, walked one and allowed all three Gators runs.
Lowden Smith and Talon Derrick each pitched one scoreless inning.
Walla Walla improved to 7-5 on the season and has two more home doubleheaders this coming weekend before opening Northwest Athletic Conference Eastern Region play the following Wednesday at home vs. Treasure Valley. The Warriors host Shoreline Saturday and Olympic Sunday.
“We have one more weekend of preseason games and then we jump into league games,” Meliah said. “So it’s time for the guys to wake up.”
