By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
After playing a total of four games on home field this year, baseball returned to Monmouth conference champions.
The Wolves swept their way through the GNAC tournament, winning three games to take the trophy. Having earned the title of regular season GNAC champions a week prior, the Wolves used the May 10 through 12 playoffs to reaffirm their dominance. They outscored their opponents by a collective 26-10.
The first game was the tightest of the tournament as the Wolves pulled out the win over Montana State Billings, 4-2.
Junior pitcher Cam Walker threw a complete game for the Wolves, striking out 10 batters to set a new single game record for the GNAC tournament.
Senior Joey Crunkilton scored the first run of the day in the second inning. He was walked at the start of the inning and advanced the bases before being batted in by junior Garrett Anderson.
Then, in the fourth inning, with junior Jacob Martinez on base, Crunkilton hit a home run over right field.
The low-scoring game was the product of clean defensive play and a lethal pitching performance. Eleven straight Billings players were retired to open the game before picking up their first hit.
In a Facebook live interview broadcast by the GNAC after the game, Cam Walker said “I just felt good. Established the strike zone, up and down in and out. Just throwing everything for strikes.”
The second game was against the Central Washington Wildcats, the number two seed in the tournament. The Wolves found themselves in a bind as they trailed 1-7 going into the sixth inning. They mounted a comeback, amassing 12 runs over the last three innings to secure the win and their place in the championship game.
The rally began when Crunkilton was batted in by first-year student Torreahno Sweet with a leadoff double in the sixth inning. Sweet was later batted in for his own run by Garrett Anderson, but after six the Wolves still trailed 3-7.
They picked up two more runs in the eighth, as Sweet crossed home plate again and so did junior Nyles Nygaard. The Wolves were in shouting distance.
“Our team never gives up,” said Nygaard. “We knew what we had to do and what we have worked so hard for.”
The eighth inning would prove the explosive decider, as the Wolves put up eight runs.
Nygaard picked up his second run while Sweet scored a third time and earned a second RBI. Sophomore Justin Wakem hit a two RBI single to bat in Crunkilton’s second run and also score junior Jacob Martinez.
The final score was 13-7, Wolves.
“We took one pitch at a time and started to get big hits when we needed them,” said Nygaard. “Our pitchers did a nice job of minimizing runs late in the game and it gave us a chance to score and have a chance to win the game. It was great to be a part of.”
The championship game was against the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders.
Junior Brady Miller was the starting pitcher and struck out nine in his seven innings, while Wolves bats opened up to power the team to a 9-1 win.
Seven of the runs came in the second inning.
A single from senior Brock Pradere batted in two, as Anderson and senior Boog Leach both crossed home plate. With Pradere on base, junior Jay Leverett hammered the first pitch he faced and they rounded the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
“We had great energy from the dugout and our batters were able to slow the game down and take it one pitch at a time,” said Pradere.
First-year student Connor McCord picked up two RBIs from two singles in the third and seventh inning as the Wolves rolled to victory.
For his 10-strikeout performance, Walker was named tournament MVP.
The Wolves finish the year with a 31-15 record, the best record they’ve posted under coach Kellen Walker’s tenure.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
