Walla Walla Community College split a pair of NWAC East Region 8-5 decisions here Saturday in East Region baseball action. The Warriors took the opener behind a four-run eighth 8-5. The Hawks returned the favor in the nightcap as the Hawks rallied from a three-run deficit to pull out an 8-5 CBC win.
Trailing 2-1 going to the home fifth in the opener, the Warriors got a single from Brian O’Rourke, an error and wild pitch from the Hawks, and Kealen Martin delivered a solo home run as the Warriors scored three times to take a 4-2 lead.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the home eighth, the Warriors put this one away. Two walks, a CBC error, and a Jordan Lester two-run triple highlighted the Warrior four-run eighth and the Warriors took an 8-3 lead to the ninth. The Hawks scored twice to make it interesting but the Warriors hung on for the 8-5 win, their first East Region win.
O’Rourke and Kyle Gradwohl led the offense with two hits each.
“We played solid baseball,” Warriors coach Dave Meliah said of game one. “We had some quality at bats to give us the lead and extend it.”
Martin got the Warriors off on the right foot to begin game two. Martin blasted a two-run home run in a three-run Warrior first inning to stake the Warriors to a 3-0 lead after one.
The Hawks got two back in the second and grabbed the lead behind Alex Orejudos’ two-run single that capped a two-out three-run rally in the Hawk fourth. WWCC got one back in the home fourth to get within 5-4, but the Hawks put this one away with a run in the fifth and two in the ninth.
Sean Coffey and O’Rourke led the Warrior offense with two hits each.
“A few little mistakes cost us,” Meliah summarized the second game. “Those little things add up. But, we played hard and with good intensity for most of the day.”
The Warriors, 1-3 in the East, travel to Treasure Valley Wednesday.
First Game
CBC010101002—5112
WWCC01003004x—881
Voortmeyer, Denney (8), Solomon (8) and Towsley; Burnham, Washburn (6) and Lester.
HR — CBC: Shekeryk, Pate; WWCC: Martin.
Hits — CBC: Simpkins 3, Sanders, Davila, Shekeryk 3, Kiffer 2, Pate; WWCC: O’Rurke 2, Martin, Smith, Gradwohl 2, Lafontaine, Lester.
Second Game
CBC020310002—883
WWCC300100001—563
Mallot, Darnell (4), Callaghan (5), Peterson (8) and Buck; Elu, Hirai (4), Ogata (8) and Lester.
HR — WWCC: Martin.
Hits — CBC: Simpkins 2, Kiffer, Orejudos 2, Shekeryk, Pate, Davila; WWCC: Coffey 2, O’Rourke 2, Martin, Lester.
Union Bulletin
