Wolves Continue Regional Roll, Top Mesa

Kevin Corrigan goes the distance in 6-2 Western Oregon baseball win.

Photo Courtesy: WOU

KEIZER - Kevin Corrigan pitched a complete game and Coubi Jiles had four hits and drove in five runs as Western Oregon remained unbeaten at the NCAA Division II West Region Baseball Championships with a 6-2 win over Mesa State.

The win improved WOU`s record to 40-14 on the season and keeps them on the winner`s side of the 6-team bracket. The Wolves will next play at noon on Saturday against the winner of tonight`s Chico State-Cal State LA game. Mesa State, the No. 3 seed and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion, ends its season at 39-19.

Corrigan, a junior right-hander, allowed only four hits, walked one and struck out nine. Two of Mesa State`s four hits were solo home runs, but other than that Corrigan was nearly untouchable.

“I am a ground ball pitcher, and I made a couple of bad pitches that I paid for,“ the Kent, Wash. native said. “Other than that I put the ball in good spots and the defense played great behind me.“

Corrigan`s offense was potent as well, especially in the 2-4 spots in the batting order. Jiles (clean-up), Paul Fisher (No. 2) and Matt Skundrick (No. 3) combined to go 9-for-12, scoring five of WOU`s six runs. All three had doubles, with Fisher rapping three hits in four trips while Skundrick was 2-for-3.

The Wolves got on the board first in the third inning when Jiles hit a two-run double off the Maverick`s Luke Cheever. Cheever, who defeated WOU and Corrigan 3-2 back in early March at Grand Junction, was very effective today as well—except against the aforementioned WOU trio. The left-hander suffered only his second loss of the season (7-2), despite fanning nine batters in 8.1 innings of work.

After WOU took the 2-0 lead, the Mavericks closed to 2-1 with a solo home run by Blaine Bernades, but the Wolves scored two more in the fifth after an RBI single by Jiles and a run scoring ground ball by Brent Mertens. MSU`s Sean VanElderen hit his 13th home run of the year in the seventh to make the count 4-2, but the Wolves added insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run base knock by Jiles, scoring Fisher and Skundrick.

Mesa State, who came into the tournament leading the region with a .351 batting average, managed just eight total hits in 18 innings against the Wolves and Cal State LA.

“We ran into two very good pitchers in Corrigan and Derrick Loop (CSULA),“ said Maverick head coach Chris Hanks. “We didn`t put enough pressure on either team at the plate, and that`s too bad because we pitched and played defense well enough to win.“

WOU coach Jeremiah Robbins echoed Hanks in his assessment of Corrigan`s work. “The middle of Mesa State`s line-up can really hurt you,“ he said. “But Kevin did a great job of working the plan and keeping them off balance. He pitched an excellent game today.“

If Western Oregon wins the Saturday noon match-up against the Wildcats or Golden Eagles, they will move automatically to Sunday`s noon title game. A loss would send them to a Saturday 7:00 PM game that they would have to win to advance to Sunday play.

Score by Innings R H E

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Western Oregon...... 002 020 002 - 6 11 0

Mesa State.......... 001 000 100 - 2 4 0

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Kevin Corrigan and Ivan Munoz.

Luke Cheever, David Rider (9), Keith Nelson (9) and Blaine Berandes.

WP-Corrigan (7-3) LP-Cheever (7-2) SV-None.

2B-Fisher (WOU), Skundrick (WOU), Jiles (WOU). 3B-None.

HR-VanElderen (MSU-13th of yr.), Bernades (MSU-6th of yr).

Records: Western Oregon 40-14, Mesa State 39-19

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