Seattle University jumped on the board quickly, and pitching along with solid defense took the team the rest of the way as the Redhawks defeated the University of Portland Pilots, 7-2, Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference collegiate baseball game at Joe Etzel Field.
Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.) led off the game with a solo home run over the wall in left-center field, his second home run of the season. Landon Cray (Chimacum, Wash.) reached base on a bunt single, and both Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) and Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.) drew walks to load the bases. With one out, Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) sent a single up the middle, scoring Olson and Stober to increase the Redhawk lead to 3-0.
Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.) led off the second inning by being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andreychuk, and scored on a single up the middle by Cray. Meanwhile, Seattle U starter Ted Hammond (Shoreline, Wash.) cruised through the first four innings, allowing just two hits and one walk.
In the fifth inning, Stober led off with a single, and Dalton Hurd (Bend, Ore.) was hit by a pitch. Carpenter smashed a 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run, his fourth of the season, to increase the Redhawk lead to 7-0. Sean Sutton (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) hit a single that chased Pilot reliever Billy Sahlinger, but Alex Fisher came on in relief and shut down the Redhawk offense over the next three innings.
Hammond went six innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five batters. Portland threatened to score in the seventh inning thanks to three straight walks, but Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.) came on in relief and struck out two straight Pilot batters to end the scoring threat.
Portland (10-36) broke through in the eighth inning, as Turner Gill was hit by a pitch and Cody Lenahan hit a home run over the wall in center field. Ryan Freitas (Concord, Calif.) came on in relief and retired five of the six batters he faced to close out the game.
Seattle University (24-23, 14-7 WAC) welcomes Chicago State to the Pacific Northwest for a three-game WAC home series, beginning at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, Wash., Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m., a time change from previously scheduled. The Redhawks and Cougars will play at Courter Field at Bellevue College Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m., before returning to Bannerwood Park for the Senior Day contest Sunday, May 10, at 10 a.m.