Everett, WA - The Trojans improved their record to 11-1 over the weekend after a 3-1 series win over #4 ranked Spokane CC. Everett showed out well on the campus of the University of Washington at Husky Ballpark. The game was moved from Funko earlier in the week due to a turf replacement project that was not completed in time for the weekend series. Out on Montlake, EvCC outscored Spokane 18-5 over the four games, and included two shutout wins, making it three shutouts on the season.
Game one of the series was tightly contested 8.5 innings. Starting pitcher AJ Hendrickson held the Sasquatch scoreless through eight, while the offense scratched out runs in the second and fourth innings. A lead off walk by Cal Pickhardt brought a run across with a Davis Downer single and two innings later another Pickhardt lead off walk came around to score on a sac fly RBI from Baylor Hill. Leading 2-0, Everett turned it on in the bottom of the 8th, with five runs on a two out rally. A bases loaded walk got things going and Axel Puls doubled to bring in three more runs. Puls was later brought home on a Micah Coleman single. Dylan Dyer came in to close the game out and the Trojans prevailed 7-1. Hendrickson went 8 full shutout innings with 4 hits and struck out 6.
Everett did all their offensive work in the first three innings of game two. It would be all that was needed as the Trojans improved to 10-0 on the season with a 4-0 win. It was another stellar pitching performance from Blake Sandvik who was named the NWAC pitcher of the week two weeks ago. He went 8 shutout innings, giving up just two hits and struck out six. Asher DeLeo closed the game giving up just one hit. The offense tallied 10 hits, all of which were singles only one drove in a run. The other three runs were produced by a sac fly, and two bases loaded walks in the 3rd inning.
The win streak stretched to 11 games the next day when Everett cruised 5-0. Sophomore Adison Mattix who redshirted last season and had just 11.2 innings pitched in 2023, had a fantastic return, going 7 shutout innings and striking out six batters on just two hits. Chase Halvorson closed the 8th and 9th giving up two hits and striking out a batter. The offense was again paced with timely hitting. A scoreless game broke open in the 4th when three straight singles brought Micah Coleman around to score. Two more runs were scored in the 5th on an Axel Puls sac fly, and a Micah Coleman single that scored freshman Talan Zenk who also hit a double later on in the game. Insurance runs were tacked on in the 6th and 8th innings. Zenk with his 3rd hit of the day drove in the run in the 6th and Max Paterson scored on a passed ball when he got on with the lead off walk.
Spokane finally got to Everett in the fourth game. Trailing 1-0 they scored 3 runs in the 3rd, only one of which was earned off starting pitcher Basil Hendrix who went 5 innings and gave up just the one earned run on 2 hits, and struck out three. The bullpen of Cooper McBride, Jacob Petersen, and Nathan Harb combined for four strikeouts over the next four innings and just one hit, but four errors plagued EvCC and the Trojans dropped their first game of the year 4-2. Jake Lockwood got his bat going with an RBI double in the 5th and sophomore transfer Luka Ruljancich picked up his 4th RBI with a single in the 1st inning.
The Trojan offense ranks first in the NWAC in runs scored (77) and first in ERA (1.65) heading into the fourth weekend of non conference play. EvCC will travel to Pasco to take on #9 ranked Columbia Basin on March 8th and 9th.