McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Baseball improved to 3-2 Friday afternoon with a four-run series opening win over NCAA Division III foe Linfield University. The Mountaineers took the opener 6-2 behind a fast start and strong pitching.
How it Happened
• In the win, Eastern tallied seven hits in the win, but the Wildcats (0-1) had the edge with nine hits. Timely hits were key in the victory for the Mountaineers.
• The Mountaineers grabbed the game's first lead with three runs in the opening inning. They held the 3-0 lead through the next four innings before going ahead 5-0.
• Austi Gerding led off with a double to left and two batters later
Matt Garcia plated him home with an RBI single to second base to make it a 1-0 game.
Hector Carreon made it a 3-0 game with a two-run homer to right field.
• The score remained 3-0 as starter
Michael Bennett and the EOU defense held the Wildcats scoreless over five innings of work. The lead grew to 5-0 for EOU with two runs scored in the sixth.
• A leadoff error by Linfield allowed
Donovan Gonzalez to get on.
McKlane Elgin singled to left for the RBI which allowed Gonzalez to score the unearned run.
Brooks Dyer hit a sacrifice fly to right to score
Ethan Snodgrass for the fifth run.
• Leading 5-0, the Mountaineers looked to hold the shutout, but the Wildcats ended their drought in the bottom of the seventh. They tacked on their only runs of the game in the seventh.
• An RBI fielder's choice allowed the first run to score for the Wildcats. They tacked on their final run with an RBI double to left center to bring the score to 5-2.
• EOU got a run back and brought the score to its final of 6-2 in the eighth. Gerding drew a leadoff walk and then stole the next two bases. He was plated home on a Garcia sacrifice fly.
• Relievers
Kolbe Bales and
Bennett King worked the final four frames at two apiece to keep the Wildcat bats at bay. The Mountaineers defense was stout with just one error the entire game while the Wildcats had four.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Hector Carreon was 2-3 with two RBIs, a home run, and a run scored.
•
Matt Garcia batted 1-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
•
Austin Gerding went 1-4 and scored two runs.
•
Michael Bennett (2-0) scored the win in the start and had one strikeout.
• Reliever
Kolbe Bales led the way in strikeouts with two.
For the Wildcats
• Cameron Skinner was 2-3 with one RBI.
• Daniel Kahn finished 2-4 and scored one run.
• Starter Andrew Del Biaggio pitched five complete and had a game-high six strikeouts.
By the Numbers
1 - Eastern is above .500 for the first time since reinstatement.
1 -
Hector Carreon's home run is the first of his EOU career and the first for the team this season.
2 - Dating back to 2006, EOU has now won its last two games against Linfield.
4 -
Matt Garcia and
Austin Gerding have registered a hit in each of the last four games.
Up Next
• The Mountaineers and Wildcats are back at it again tomorrow, Feb. 5. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. PT.
FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS
