Wolves Run Streak to 17, Top Saints Twice

Western Oregon, now 37-13, wraps up regular season vs. SMU on Sunday.

File Photo Photo Courtesy: WOU

MONMOUTH - Western Oregon`s impressive late season baseball run continued with a pair of wins over Saint Martin`s (9-3 and 8-2) on Saturday at the WOU Baseball Field.

The Wolves, who have now won 17 consecutive games, will wrap up the regular season on Sunday with a noon doubleheader against the Saints. WOU will take a 37-13 record into the games, and 19-3 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Saint Martin`s drops to 14-27 overall and to 6-11 in league action. The Wolves have already clinched their sixth straight conference title.

The No. 1 regionally ranked Wolves tied the WOU school record for consecutive wins, set by the 2001 squad. The 17-game winning streak is already at GNAC record.

WOU`s Nick Waechter improved to 11-0 on the season in the twinbill opener. The junior righthander gave up one hit through the first six innings. SMU`s second hit of the game and a pair of wild pitches broke up Waechter`s shutout in the seventh inning, and the Saints put together another mini rally in the ninth to spoil near-perfect numbers for Waechter. He finished with a five-hitter in 8.2 innings of work, and he fanned five.

Meanwhile, the WOU offense provided plenty of support for the Roseburg native. The Wolves pounded out 13 hits, including three by Whitney Wilson. Boo Christenson, Kevin Corrigan and Brent Mertens added two base knocks each. Christenson also drove in two runs, as did Travis Coursey, who had a two-run double.

Richard O`Neill had two of SMU`s five hits in the first game.

In the second contest, WOU broke open a 2-2 game with two runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to post the 8-2 win. Starting pitcher Corrigan went the distance, improving to 6-3 on the year. The junior allowed only four hits, walked two and struck out four.

The Wolves were in double digits again with 11 hits, three of them this time by Coubi Jiles (including a triple). Paul Fisher had two hits and two RBI and Coursey had two base knocks, including a solo home run.

No one had more than one hit for the Saints. Curtis Thibault and Ezzard Wilkins drove SMU`s runs.

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