It's down to the wire for WNC

It all comes down to today for the Western Nevada College baseball team. And the Wildcats still need some help.

That's not a situation he likes to be in, but WNC coach D.J. Whittemore is keeping his perspective. The Wildcats stayed in the race for the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title on Friday at John L. Harvey Field, sweeping a doubleheader against College of Eastern Utah.

WNC won the opener 4-0 and the nightcap 6-0 behind outstanding efforts from starting pitchers Kyle Starratt and Josh Moody. But the Wildcats still trail first-place College of Southern Nevada by one game as CSN swept a doubleheader on Friday at College of Southern Idaho.

CSN won the opener 2-1 in nine innings and won the nightcap 2-0. The regular season finishes today as WNC (33-18, 27-11) hosts Eastern Utah in a doubleheader, beginning at noon while CSN (28-10 in conference) plays two at CSI. If WNC and CSN end up tied for the title, the Wildcats would host next week's postseason tournament, having the tiebreaker over the Coyotes by virtue of winning the season series 6-2.

"No, 'cause you want to be able to control you own destiny and we don't," said Whittemore when asked if he was enjoying this pennant race. "Do we want to win the Scenic West championship - you bet your a__. If we don't (win it) is it going to be the end of the world - no."

When asked if information on how CSN was doing was relayed to his team in the dugout, Whittemore said, "Accidentally. I'd rather not know about it."

WNC was able to finally break through against Eastern Utah ace Riley Gordon in the opener in the fifth inning when it scored all of its runs. While Gordon didn't strike out a batter, he kept the Wildcats off balance with his offspeed pitches.

In the fifth, Cliff Shepard and Logan Parsley singled and after Parsley stole second, Shepard scored on a passed ball. Chuck Howard hit an RBI double and after Kyle Gutchewsky singled, Brian Barnett hit an RBI double. Gutchewsky scored on a fielder's choice to make it 4-0.

Davis Banks doubled and Marshall Kennebrew and Lance Ray each added a hit for WNC. Starratt allowed just two hits over six innings while striking out three and walking one. Javy Perez pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two.

"Just keep the team in it," said Starratt about his goal when he's pitching. "That's all I had to do. They'll do the rest. That four-spot helped a lot."

Starratt also said the key was "just throw the ball low and just let them hit themselves out."

All the Wildcats can do, Starratt said is "just play one game at a time. That's the only way you can win four."

In the nightcap, Scott Kappas was just as effective as Gordon, allowing just an unearned run through five-plus innings. Jerome Pena walked and Marshall Kennebrew singled in the fourth. Shepard hit a flyball to centerfield and Pena tagged up, advancing to third and scored on a bad throw to third on the play.

Kappas was pulled after walking Pena and hitting Kennebrew with a pitch to begin the sixth. But Fernando Martinez came on and got a strikeout and double play to end the threat.

With the score still 1-0, the situation got scary for WNC in the seventh. Moody was cruising with two outs and nobody on before Bryson Griffin doubled. After Josh Sturgess walked, Moody was pulled for Jose Barajas.

Barajas promptly committed a balk to give Eastern Utah runners at second and third. Barajas got a strikeout on a pitch in the dirt that was blocked by Howard. But Ray dropped Howard's throw to first, loading the bases.

Barajas then almost hit Mitch Moore to force in the tying run, but eventually struck out Moore to end the inning.

WNC then broke open the game with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, which allowed Whittemore to pull Barajas, saving him for more extensive action today. Barnett and Kennebrew both hit two-run doubles to make it 5-0.

Kennebrew, who went 6-for-13 in a recent four-game sweep of Salt Lake Community College, had three hits on the day.

"I've just been working hard all year," Kennebrew said. "I feel real comfortable up there."

There's no denying it would be sweet for the many WNC players, like Kennebrew, who are from Southern Nevada if the Wildcats can beat out CSN for the title.

"I really want to win and take the title from them being from Vegas," Kennebrew said. "I think we can do it, just win two tomorrow."

Banks doubled and scored on Brett Moravec's single to finish the scoring in the eighth. Moody scattered six hits, struck out four and walked three over 6 2/3innings.

Andrew Reid finished up, pitching two scoreless innings. Barnett had two hits and Howard and Mike Long each added a hit.