Saints pitcher throws perfect game over break

While many students spent their spring break vacationing or relaxing, the Saints baseball team went to work in preparation for the regular season.

MHCC started by taking on the Western Nevada Wildcats. Hoping to challenge themselves by venturing south, they went 1-3 in back-to-back doubleheaders. Facing a team that participated in last year’s NJCAA World Series proved to be tall order, but MHCC played competitive baseball during their entire trip.

The three losses were only decided by eight total runs. In their lone victory of the trip, sophomore Brandon Williams threw a complete game, five-hit shutout, striking out eight Wildcat batters in the process. Although they only provided five hits of their own, RBIs by sophomores Marcus Blackmon, Shea Coates and Ryan Degner proved to be the difference in the 3-0 win.

Falling 15-1 to Columbia Basin in their first game back from Nevada wasn’t ideal, but they bounced back to take the latter end of the doubleheader against the Hawks, winning 10-0.

Traveling to Pendleton the next day to take on Blue Mountain, sophomore Eric Huson threw a perfect game, shutting out the Timberwolves in nine innings. Huson struck out seven hitters, surrendering only one walk in the 7-0 victory.

The Saints’ offense didn’t skip a beat in game two, hammering Blue Mountain 13-2 en route to a sweep, giving them a 3-1 record over the first weekend of the break. Freshman designated hitter Dakota Farmer led the Saints offensive onslaught with a double and two runs batted in during his 4-for-6 performance.

With the offense being up and down, head coach Bryan Donohue said, “Early in the season, pitching is ahead of hitting, but as the year goes on we’re able to make adjustments faster.”

After shutting down Blue Mountain, MHCC began Southern Region play by facing Southwest Oregon for a doubleheader last weekend, winning both games. In the first game, a five-run seventh inning provided more than enough offense for MHCC to earn a 5-1 victory. The offense was spread out in the second game, as the Saints scored two runs in the first and fourth innings for a 5-2 win to complete the sweep of SWOCC.

Taking their five-game winning streak on the road to face Chemeketa, MHCC struck early for three first-inning runs. The offense went stagnant as the Storm scratched and clawed their way to tie it up after the seventh. But starting the top of the ninth with a leadoff walk, freshman Jon Welborn made his way around the diamond to score the go-ahead run. Sophomores Myles Richard and Zev Egli were able to lock down Storm hitters in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the 4-3 victory.

The Saints’ six-game winning streak would come to a halt in the second game of their back-to-back contests. Leading 2-1 heading into the bottom half of the fifth inning, the wheels began to come off as the Saints committed two errors in giving up four runs as Chemeketa took a 5-2 win.

“When we’re sharp on the mound, the defense plays well behind us,” said Donohue, noting that quality starts have been a focal point to their 10-6 record thus far into their season.

Looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to Chemeketa, the Saints will host the Lane Titans in a doubleheader Saturday. Lane brings a 4-0 record in Southern Region play (8-8 overall) to Oslund Field.

“They have a few weapons on offense and several quality arms. It should be a competitive matchup and a chance for us to leapfrog them early in the season,” Donohue said. Games are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Saints also will play Clackamas Tuesday in Oregon City in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.