Walla Walla Community College came within three outs of sweeping Blue Mountain Community College in NWAC East baseball doubleheader action here Saturday.
The Warriors got solid pitching from Robby Heiberg, six strikeouts in 6 + innings, and Dimick Wood, plus a two run home run from Josh Kutzke to beat the Timberwolves 7-4 in the opener.
The nightcap was all Jacob Haas for seven innings. The Warrior starter blanked the Timberwolves for seven innings on only two hits while striking out six.
The Warriors used a run-scoring single from Larry DeWitt in the first and a sac fly from Brandon Wagstaff in the second to give Haas a 2-0 lead. Austin Haughton relieved Haas in the eighth and worked a scoreless eighth. The Warriors went to the ninth up 2-0.
Five hits and an error later, the Timberwolves had crossed the plate five times and the Warriors trailed 5-2 going to the home ninth.
Colton Peha, on his fourth hit of the game, doubled in one, but that was all the Warrior rally could muster as the Timberwolves earned a split with a 5-3 win in the nightcap.
“Robby (Heiberg) and Jacob (Haas) both had quality starts for us,” Warrior coach Dave Meliah said. “That is the best Jacob has thrown all year. Unfortunately we didn’t extend the lead and allowed them to hang around. They, then, had the big ninth inning. You have to get all 27 outs and we didn’t do it.”
The Warriors drop to 13-7 in the East and travel to Treasure Valley Wednesday.
