The Warriors are quickly earning the distinction of "comeback kids" this season after two more come-from-behind victories Sunday, 3-1 and 4-3, to wrap up a four-game sweep of Central Washington at Warrior Field.
Leading the comebacks was right fielder
Tomas Donnelly. After two game-winning RBIs in Saturday's doubleheader, Donnelly did it again by singling through the left side in the bottom of the seventh of game two Sunday to bring home
Kyle Loretelli and defeat the Wildcats 4-3.
The Warriors got a huge start from staff ace
Marquis Fleming in game one. Fleming pitched a complete game two-hitter and tied a career high with 12 strikeouts, allowing just one run to earn his first victory of the season.
"He's been here four years and we've seen him grow," Warrior head coach
Kenny Leonesio said about Fleming. "We expect big things from him, he's a true No. 1."
The Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead in game one when Jaime Nilsen drove Fleming's first pitch of the game over the left-center field fence. Fleming settled down after the homer and did not allow another hit until the eighth inning.
The Warriors tied the game in the third inning on a
Dennis Wolfe RBI double that scored
Jeff Bellotti and moved leadoff hitter
Kyle Loretelli to third base. Moments later, Loretelli stole home in thrilling fashion as Wildcat pitcher Derek Shoemaker delivered to the plate, giving the Warriors a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish, adding another run in the fourth for the final score.
The Wildcats had another big fourth inning in game two Sunday, as they did in game two Saturday. Nilsen led off with a triple and two straight singles gave Central Washington a 1-0 lead. Loretelli dropped what would have been the third out in center field, allowing two runs to score.
The Warriors answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own, courtesy of a two-run Bellotti triple that was off the glove of Wildcat center fielder A.J. Gosney.
After stranding a run on third in the bottom of the sixth, the Warriors had one more shot in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter
Dante Palacios hit a double that ricocheted into left field off the shoe of Wildcat relief pitcher Andrew Snowdon. Loretelli made up for his error in the fourth with a single to left field to bring home Contreras. He advanced all the way to third base after third baseman John Lobbestael cut off the throw home and threw the ball into center field trying to catch Loretelli at second base.
Jake Oketani, one of the Warriors' hottest hitters entering Sunday, struck out swinging to bring up Donnelly, who drove in Loretelli with a seeing-eye single.
Josh Lewis picked up the win (1-0) after entering in the top of the seventh and shutting down Central Washington.
The Warriors' next contest is a three-game home-away non-conference series against Sonoma State, beginning at 2 p.m. Friday at Warrior Field, followed by a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday in Rohnert Park against the Seawolves.