Behind a strong pitching performance by Tarik Skubal (Kingman, Ariz.) and a consistent offensive effort throughout the day, Seattle University earned another league series win with an 11-1 run-rule victory over Chicago State Sunday morning in a Western Athletic Conference collegiate baseball game at Bannerwood Park.
Skubal allowed a leadoff home run to Mattingly Romanin, but he quickly recovered, striking out the side in the second inning, and then accomplishing the same feat in the fourth inning to prevent the Cougars from scoring after Chicago State loaded the bases with nobody out. He finished the game with 11 strikeouts, tying the Seattle U modern single-game record for strikeouts set twice previously this season by Skyler Genger (Kent, Wash.), including Saturday against Chicago State.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Dalton Hurd (Bend, Ore.) singled to right field, and then he stole both second and third base. Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) drove in Hurd with a single up the middle, followed by singles from Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.) and Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) that loaded the bases. Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.) laced a single into center field, scoring both Olson and Stober to give the Redhawks a 3-1 lead.
Seattle U increased its lead in the second inning when Landon Cray (Chimacum, Wash.) hit his second home run of the season, a two-run blast over the right field wall. In the fifth inning, Stober and Carpenter would lead off with back-to-back singles, and both runners would score on a sacrifice fly to left field by Andreychuk and an RBI groundout by Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.).
Stober led off the seventh inning with a walk, and he would reach third base on back-to-back stolen bases. Carpenter would drive Stober in with a single, Andreychuk was hit by a pitch, and Peterson laced a single to left field that scored Carpenter.
Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) drew a walks to load the bases, and Eric Koenig (Auburn, Wash.) earned an RBI by drawing a walk that forced in Andreychuk. After a fielder’s choice groundout, Hurd sent a ground ball towards second base, and the Cougars were able to earn only one out on the play, allowing pinch runner Sean Sutton (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) to score the run that increased the Redhawk lead to 10 runs, invoking the WAC’s 10-run rule.
“Tarik settled down after giving up the home run to their best player and gave us some zeros, and then the offense responded really well,” Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel said. “It was great that all four seniors in the lineup got hits, and the two senior pitchers were warming up ready to come in if the game continued. Overall, a great end to the weekend.”
Every Seattle U player in the starting lineup earned at least one hit, led by Carpenter’s 3-for-4 performance. Seniors Olson and Peterson each went 2-for-4, while Newton and Koenig enjoyed 1-for-3 efforts with a walk apiece. In total, the Redhawks finished with 15 hits and left just five runners stranded on base. Before the game, Garrett Anderson (Kennewick, Wash.), Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.), Koenig, Newton, Olson, and Peterson were honored in Senior Day ceremonies.
Chicago State (12-38-1, 5-17-1 WAC) was held to five hits, two hits apiece by Romanin and Robert Swenson. Tyler Abbott took the loss for the Cougars, allowing seven hits and four runs in the first inning before he gave way to Zach Thomas, who gave up eight hits, two walks, and seven runs, six of them earned, in five innings of relief.
Seattle University (26-24, 16-8 WAC) hosts the Pacific Tigers in a non-conference game Monday, May 11, at 6 p.m. at Courter Field on the campus of Bellevue College. The Redhawks will then travel to Greeley, Colo., to face Northern Colorado Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16, as both teams will look to solidify the highest possible seed for the upcoming WAC Baseball Tournament in Mesa, Ariz.