WWCC Baseball Splits 4-Game Series with Olympic College
Walla Walla, WA - The Walla Walla Community College Baseball team was back in action over the weekend, hosting Olympic College for a 4-game series. The Warriors would win the front end of the doubleheader on both Saturday and Sunday, before dropping the back half on both days, resulting in a 2-2 weekend. With the split, the Warriors move to 4-3 overall on the young season.
Walla Walla 6 vs. Olympic 4 (Saturday - Game 1)
The Warriors were able to overcome some defensive miscues and hold off a late push by Olympic to claim a 6-4 victory in the opening game of the series. Conner Marshall toed the rubber for WWCC, earning the win by going 5 innings and only surrendering 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 earned run while striking out 4 Rangers. Aaron Kaufman, Tyson Landoni, and Cade Hill all registered 2 hits each to combine for 6 of the Warriors' 8 total hits. Ryan Hoerner earned the first save of the season for Walla Walla, slamming the door with a 2 inning performance where he only allowed 2 baserunners and struck out 4.
Walla Walla 6 vs. Olympic 10 (Saturday - Game 2)
Despite a 4-run 8th inning comeback attempt, the Warriors dropped the second game of Saturday's doubleheader by a score of 10-6. WWCC's 3 defensive errors and 6 combined walks and hit by pitches, paired with 10 strikeouts on offense dug a hole that was too deep to climb out of, evening the series at one game a piece headed into Sunday. Aaron Kaufman drove in two runs and both Gavin Wideman and Evan Smith tallied 2 hits in the loss.
Walla Walla 4 vs. Olympic 3 - 12 Innings (Sunday - Game 1)
Sunday's first game was a wild one as Walla Walla used a 3-run seventh inning to tie the game at 3, before ultimately earning a walkoff victory in the 12th inning on a Gavin Wideman sacrifice fly. The Warriors were held to just 3 hits through the first 6 innings of play, before Brian Alcazar got the party started with a base hit, and then a Cade Hill double and Corbin Goodlake triple would score 3 runs, knotting things up. JP Wigen and Evan Perry combined to pitch the last 6 innings for WWCC, giving up 0 runs on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts, with Perry earning the win in the game. Nakoa Moses-Gomera was strong on the mound in his start, pitching 6 innings and only allowing 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 7.
Walla Walla 6 vs. Olympic 7 - 7 Innings (Sunday - Game 2)
Two 3-run innings by Olympic in the middle innings of the game were enough to squeak out the victory in the series finale as both teams would finish 2-2 on the weekend. Beckett Ensminger had 2 of the Warriors' 5 hits in the game and Mason Bailey drove in 2 runs while also walking 3 times. Luke Jenkins had a strong showing in relief on the mound, pitching 3 innings without giving up a run and striking out 2 Rangers in the effort.
What's next?
Walla Walla heads to Longview, WA this weekend to take on Lower Columbia College, the #1 team in the NWAC Baseball Preseason Poll. The doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday are scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM.