WNC Baseball: Freshman holds Wildcats to two hits in seven scoreless innings
Submitted by editor on Fri, 02/21/2014 - 8:31pm
After scoring 21 runs in their previous game, the Western Nevada College Wildcats ran into a pitcher on Friday that kept them off-balance.
Salt Lake Community College freshman right-hander Jason Jourdan checked the 14th-ranked Wildcats on two hits through seven innings en route to the Bruins’ 4-3 baseball victory in Henderson.
“He beat us; he threw a phenomenal game,” said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore of Jourdan, who fanned four and didn’t walk a hitter. “He had good movement on his fastball and threw enough off-speed pitches.”
The nonconference game was the first of four for the Wildcats against Scenic West Athletic Conference opponents in Henderson. The Wildcats (8-5), who had won eight of their previous 10 games, are scheduled to play College of Southern Idaho at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by Colorado Northwestern at 6 p.m.
Jourdan blanked WNC through seven innings, but the Wildcats rallied in the eighth inning to send him off the hill. Trailing 4-0, Sam Hall started the rally with a walk, and one out later, Jake Bennett also received a free pass from Jourdan, ending his afternoon.
Alex Fife greeted left-handed reliever Nick Denny with a base hit to load the bases. Then, Joey Crunkilton got the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a RBI walk, and Connor Harber made the score 4-2 with a single. Connor Klein took a walk with the bases full to pull the Wildcats within a run, but the Bruins got out of the jam when Eric Carter, the fourth pitcher of the inning, got Tony Roque out on a fly ball to right.
After Spencer Greer kept the deficit at one in the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats made some final-inning noise when Rayne Raven singled to center field with one out. However, Carter retired Bennett on a fly out to center, and Rayne Raven was called out trying to steal second base to end the game.
“We came out with the same approach at the plate,” Whittemore said. “We’ve played with that same approach all year. There is only way to do it, and that is to play as hard as they can every pitch.”
Harber and Fife each stroked a pair of hits for the Wildcats.
WNC starting pitcher Christian Solo departed after two innings because of elbow tightness. Greer filled the void, throwing six innings of two-run relief.
“Greer was awesome,” Whittemore said.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore right-hander struck out eight and allowed just three hits.
Salt Lake (7-6) went on top with a two-run first inning. Caleb Summerhays connected for a run-scoring double and Colton Barkdull scored on a wild pitch.
The Bruins expanded their lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning when Summerhays and Derrick Whitney hit RBI singles.
The two teams will meet in a four-game SWAC series Feb. 28 and March 1 at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.
