Senior Concordia pitcher Jason Grisham went eight innings but took the loss agianst the Owls on Friday.
Oregon Tech Holds on for 4-3 Win in Series Opener at Concordia
PORTLAND, Ore. – After entering the ninth with a two-rum lead, Oregon Tech held on for a 4-3 win in the first game of a three-game series at Concordia University.
With the win, OIT improved to 18-25 while Concordia dropped to 13-22 overall.
Down by two in the ninth, Josh Mandin (Sutherlin, Ore./Sutherlin H.S.) connected for a one-out single and advanced to second by a throwing error to set up a potential Cavalier rally. Roberto Reyes (Monterrey, Mexico) followed with an RBI single but was taken off the base paths on a fielder’s choice in the next at bat. Following a walk by Tommy Whalen (Encinitas, Calif./Skyview H.S.), the Cavs had runners on first and second with catcher Ryan Sussenguth (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow H.S.) at the plate.
After a ball in the dirt, Sussenguth tossed his bat and started towards first on an apparent hit-by-pitch. With the umpire not making the call for the free base, Owl catcher Kenny Simmons (Novato, Calif./San Martin H.S.) fired to first to start a run down that would provide the game’s final out.
Derek Jacobson (Knappa, Ore./Knappa H.S.) threw 8 1/3 innings before being relieved by Carlos Ruvalcaba (Milton Freewater, Ore./Milton H.S.). Jacobson notched eight strikeouts while scattering nine hits and five walks and allowing two earned runs for the win.
Concordia’s Jason Grisham (Canby, Ore./Canby H.S.) took the loss despite eight innings of work. Grisham struck out two while allowing 10 hits and just three earned runs and a single walk.
CU created a two-run lead in the first with back-to-back singles by Reyes and Ben Lanier (Kinston, N.C./Kinston H.S.). After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Sean Myrom (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo H.S.) cracked a sacrifice fly to right field for the RBI. Sussenguth followed with the team’s third hit, a single to right to allow Lanier to score.
The Owls responded with two two-out runs in the third to tie the game. With a single down the right-field line Frank Drake (Central Point, Ore./Crater H.S.) drove in Quinn Hummell (Klamath Falls, Ore./Mazama H.S.), who reached via a walk and Sean Teeters (Central Point, Oore./Ctrater H.S.) drove in Ryson Mauricio (Miliana, Hawaii/Kamehameha H.S.) with a double down the left-field line. The Cavs would prevent a third run on the play as a Lanier throw from left field to shortstop Brennan Ingram (Vancouver, Wash./Battleground H.S.) to the awaiting Sussenguth to beat Drake to the plate for the third out.
Oregon Tech would get their final two runs in the sixth by way of a pair of doubles and an error.
The two teams will square off for a pair of games on Saturday at The Yard. Opening pitch is slated for noon on the campus of Concordia University.