LACEY, Wash. –
Cole Hatton and
Brock Wrolstad combined to silence the Wildcats' bats to just one run as the Saints split the day and moved into a tie for third in the GNAC standings.
Central Washington pounced early on the Saints in the second inning with a run, which started an 8-0 stretch. By the end of the fifth, the Wildcats held an 8-0 lead over SMU.
The Saints' lone run came in the seventh inning on an RBI single from
Hunter Kosmider, scoring
Reid Little.
Saint Martin's bounced back in the second game with a run in the first inning on an RBI from
Ryne Oshiro. Central Washington's only run scored in the second inning with a wild pitch.
An RBI from
Drew Forgione in the second inning put the Saints in the lead, and SMU never looked back. Saint Martin's added another two runs in the inning with a two RBI single from
Hunter Kosmider.
Forgione and Kosmider struck again in the third with another pair of RBI starting off a five-run inning. The bases loaded up for
Aaron Renaud, setting up the lefty for a game-changing moment. Renaud narrowly missed on a grand slam, driving a ball to deep right field for a bases-clearing double, breaking open the game to a 9-1 score.
The Saints provided all the run support Hatton and Wrolstad needed. Hatton got the start on the mound, going five innings, allowing just one run on five hits, with seven strikeouts. The lefty Wrolstad came in for the final two innings, allowing just one hit, with three strikeouts.
Saint Martin's improved to a 13-15 record in GNAC action, pulling into a tie with Montana State Billings for the third and final spot in the GNAC Championships. The Saints host Western Oregon on Thursday, Friday on May 3-4.