Top of Standings After Split With Bellevue

Everett, WA – The latest NWAC coaches poll saw the Trojans climb up to #3 in the conference and with an opportunity to further solidify their position in the north region standings against Bellevue over the weekend.  The Trojans clipped the Bulldogs on the road earlier in the season taking two games in Bellevue by final scores of 3-2 and 9-1.  After the first eight north region games the Trojans found themselves at 8-0 going into the weekend and four games up on Bellevue in the standings.

The first doubleheader would be played in Bellevue on Saturday, and it would be the Bulldogs who broke a scoreless game in the bottom of the 4^th inning, pushing across a run against starter Wyatt Queen.  The Trojans responded with two runs in the 5^th followed by two more runs in the 6^th inning and those four runs would prove to be enough in the first game as EvCC would go on to win 4-2.  Jacob Petersen and Nathan Harb would combine in the final two innings to shut out Bellevue, holding them to one hit.  Jonah Shull had a big 3 hit game, with an RBI double and later had an RBI single.  Keaton Fisher also had two singles, one of which drove in a run.

Bellevue took advantage of 10 walks in game two of the day as the Trojan pitching staff struggled to find the zone.  Seven pitchers combined to allow those walks in addition to ten hits and 10 earned runs.  Ben Hewitt had the best outing, completing one inning of work, giving up one hit, and striking out one batter, with no walks.  Cooper McBride pitched a team high 3.2 innings and gave up three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out four.  The Trojans did push across five runs, as Jonah Shull and Keaton Fisher continued to have solid days, both with two hits and driving in runs. 

The Trojans got the loss back in the first game on Sunday back in Everett.  Starting pitcher Ethan Hubbell pitched an 8-inning gem, giving up just 4 hits and one earned one, while walking no batters, and striking out 8.  The 8 k's ties a season high, a mark he's reached three times this season in 9 starts.  On the season Hubbell boasts a 1.15 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 55 innings of work.  Nathan Harb closed out the game and picked up his 5^th save of the season preserving the 5-1 win.  EvCC combined for nine hits, all of which were singles, except for Isaac Hoag's first inning double that drove in the first run of the ball game.  Jonah Shull continued his hot hitting weekend with a timely single that drove in two runs.

In the final game of the weekend, the Trojans got into a 6-0 hole after the first two innings and could not generate much run support despite getting 6 hits in the game.  Bellevue found a way to salvage the weekend split and took the final game 6-1. 

The Trojans move to 10-2 in north region play and will face Shoreline next weekend, with the some set of the doubleheader on Saturday, April 27^th and in Shoreline to close the weekend.