It was a 4-3 victory thanks to a complete team effort that found the Chucks their first win in three games. They improve to 10-2 and still lead the Great Lakes West.
The Woodchucks would score first yet again for the ninth time this season. They found hits off the bats of Val Cerna Jr. (Cen. Methodist U) and Max Galvin (OK St. University). Cerna doubled and was moved to third by Galvin’s single. Cerna eventually came around to score on a double steal.
The next inning Brayden Smith (Iowa Western Comm. College) found a two-out single. The next batter Max Soliz Jr. (Auburn) batted him to third and an errant throw by the right fielder allowed Smith to score the second run in as many innings. The Chucks pitching held the Chinooks scoreless and it was 2-0 heading to the third inning.
The very next time the duo of Smith and Soliz Jr. would come to the plate they put together an almost identical inning as the second. Smith singled which was followed by a double from Soliz Jr. making the Woodchucks seven and eight hitters responsible for two of the Chucks three runs.
Edwin Alicea (Nova Southeastern U) got the start tonight for the Woodchucks and continued the trend of strong starting pitching. In the last four games the Woodchucks starter has gone at least five innings pitched and Alicea was just short of that mark pitching four and recording three strikeouts. He handed the ball off to Jorge Decardenas (Charlotte U).
Decardenas would strike out four and allow just two base runners through the fifth and sixth inning. An unusual one-out double on a ball that got lost in the lights for the Chucks outfielders gave Decardenas trouble in the seventh. A run would come around and the Chucks led 3-1 heading to the eighth.
After going 0-4 to start the game, Drew Berkalnd (U of Minnesota) hit a classic Berkland bomb over the left field wall. The solo shot was his second of the season and it gave the Chucks a much-needed insurance run. They led 4-1 and needed three outs to win their 10th game of the year.
Decardenas would get the bump for his fifth inning of work in the ninth. With a three-run lead, the Chinooks would start some late game dramatics finding a walk followed by a two-out homerun. With the score 4-3, Eric Valdez (Feather River College) would come in looking for one out, and finding it on a strikeout to end the game.
