Saturday: Game 1- Columbia Basin 10 Blue Mountain 4. Game 2- Columbia Basin 5 Blue Mountain 2.
Sunday: Game 1- Columbia Basin 13 Blue Mountain 10. Game 2- Columbia Basin 4 Blue Mountain 10.
New Head Coach
Stefan McGovern opened up his career as the Hawks skipper with 3 wins at home against the Blue Mountain Timberwolves. McGovern's club won the first 3 games in convincing fashion before dropping the fourth on Sunday afternoon.
Shane Martin was handed the ball for the season opener. Martin went 7 innings while scattering 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 7 Timberwolf batters. Sophomore second baseman
Cody Kehl went 4 for 5 at the plate with 4 doubles and 2 RBI's.
Chase Oldham also drove in 2 on his 2 hits for the game.
The Hawks scored in each of the first four innings including a 3-run second inning. Kehl drove in his 2 runs in the inning follwed up by a
Riley Harrison single that drove Kehl in. Shortstop
Hunter Tiffany was able to lift one out of the park for the first Basin home run on the season in the third inning. Oldham,
Trent Sellers and
Devon Garner each drove in a run in the 8th inning to put the game away for CBC 10-4.
Sellers started game two for Basin and turned in a quality start. He finished 7 innings, striking out 9 and only giving up 1 run. Harrison recorded the 2-inning save in relief.
Cooper Shelby and
Tyler Polacek each drove in a run the 5th inning.
JJ Kukes finished 2 for 2 with 1 RBI.
CBC took advantage of 4 miscues by the Blue Mountain defense. The Hawks also stole 3 bases as game 2 produced more small ball than game 1. Sellers' only run was scored on a SAC fly in the 4th inning by Emilio Davila. Harrison also surrendered a SAC fly in the 8th for the second run of the game by Blue Mountain.
Sunday's games were moved from Pendleton back to Pasco due to poor weather conditions. Those conditions reached Pasco just in time for game 1 with some rain and 30 MPH winds.
Nick Solomon got the win in relief after starter
Jon Garza failed to finish the 5th inning. Garza allowed 7 earned runs on 8 hits. Solomon went 4.2 innings giving up just 1 run on 5 hits. Sellers and Garner each had 3 hits while Tiffany finished 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Shelby also drove in 3 runs for CBC.
Kirby Robertson tripled in the bottom of the first inning for 2 RBI's as the Hawks jumped out for 6 runs in the frame. Two wild pitches brought across 2 more in the second to go along with RBIs by Garner and Shelby to help CBC go ahead 10-3 early. Blue Mountain scratched 6 more to cut the lead to 1 headed into the bottom of the 6th.
Tiffany reached on a walk and was able to plate a run after a steal of third base and a blue mountain error. In the 7th, Tiffany came up big again with a 2-RBI single to bump the lead to 13-10. Solomon finished off the Timberwolves in short order to complete the 13-10 win.
Game 2 starter
Nick Bateman struggled in the 10-4 loss giving up 8 runs in 4 innings. The Hawks left 13 runners on base in the losing effort.
Adrian Crain went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Nick Grade also had 2 hits including a double.
Blue Mountain scored 10 runs on 12 hits. Carsten Manderbach had 2 hits and 3 RBIs to lead the way. The Timberwolves scored 4 runs in the second and 4 in the 4th to help create an insurmountable lead. Harrison and Grade both went 2 innings of scoreless relief in the loss. CBC was able to score one in the 8th and one in the 9th but couldn't come up with a big hit with runners on base.
The Hawks will continue a month long home-stand against Grays Harbor on Saturday February 29th and Tacoma on Sunday.
