PASCO — Walla Walla Community split a twin bill with Columbia Basin College Saturday, surviving a late push to pick up a 6-5 win in the opener before dropping the nightcap 3-0 in a pitcher’s duel.
“You have to take advantage of the opportunities that you get offensively with runners in scoring position,” WWCC coach Dave Meliah said in an email to the Union-Bulletin. “We did that the first game, but we didn’t in the second. That’s the difference in a win and a loss.”
Caleb Burnham earned the win on the mound for the Warriors in the first game. He gave up four runs on 11 hits before being replaced one batter into the ninth. Burnham struckout six and didn’t issue a walk.
“Both of our starting pitchers threw well today and gave us great chances to win,” Meliah said.
The Warriors had a four-run lead going into the bottom of the eighth in the first game and needed every bit of cushion to hold on for the win.
Connor Kiffer brought in a run on a sac-fly for the Hawks in the bottom of the eighth and Alexander Orejudos hit a two-out, two-RBI triple to bring the Hawks almost all the way back.
But with Orejudos in scoring position, Warrior reliever Mike Peterson caught Trey Southard looking for a strikeout to escape with a win.
The Warriors outhit CBC in the nightcap 8-7 but had little to show for it in the 3-0 loss as they left eight runners on base.
With the split the Warriors maintain a .500 record for the season at 15-15 overall and 6-10 in NWAC East Region play.
They host Big Bend Community College Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
First Game
Walla Walla012200010—6160
Columbia Basin002000012—5131
Burnham, Peterson (9) and Wood. Voortmeyer, Darnell (4) Strawn (7) and Billings.
HR — none.
Hits — Walla Walla: Coffey 3, Martin 2, Larson 2, Smith, Robinson 3, Wood 2, Lafontaine 2, Garza. Columbia Basin: Dearing 2, Simpkins 2, Orejudos 2, Shekeryk, Kiffer, Sanders 2, Davila 3.
Second Game
Walla Walla000000000—080
Columbia Basin00000111X—370
Washburn, Evenhus (8) and Lester. Baker, Petterson (7) and Martin.
HR — Columbia Basin: Shekeryk.
Hits — Walla Walla: Coffey 2, O’Rourke 2, Martin, Smith, Robinson, Lafontaine. Columbia Basin: Shekeryk 2, Kiffer, Sanders 2, Davila, Pate.
Union Bulletin
