Contreras Delivers Bases-Clearing Double; Oaks Defeat Philippines Baseball Group 6–2

Contreras Delivers Bases-Clearing Double; Oaks Defeat Philippines Baseball Group 6–2

By Micah Rodriguez

Backed by an elite pitching performance and a big second inning, the Coneko Oaks defeated Philippines Baseball Group 6–2 at Pirate Park. With the win, the Oaks move to 11–7. 

Right-hander Derek Turner made his fifth start of the summer. The rising redshirt junior went four scoreless innings – his longest start of the summer – and scattered three hits while striking out two. He has now struck out 16 batters in 15 total innings.

The Oaks opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and nobody out, outfielder James Latshaw lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score shortstop Zach Mora from third to give the Oaks an early 1–0 lead. 

The Oaks broke the game open in the home half of the second. Two walks and an error loaded the bases for leadoff man Brandon Contreras. The outfielder ripped a bases-clearing double on the first pitch he saw to clear the bases and put the Oaks ahead 4–0. Mora followed with an RBI single on the first pitch he saw to extend the Oaks' lead to five. 

A one-out single from utility man Caden Stillwell put runners on the corners, and Latshaw delivered his second sacrifice fly in as many innings – this one to left field – to score Mora and make it a 6–0 game.

That was all the offense the Oaks would need. The pitching staff only allowed six hits while striking out seven. 

Arnold Wu worked a scoreless fifth and sixth inning following Turner to earn his first win of the summer. The Pepperdine right-hander continues to be a lock-down arm out of the bullpen for Head Coach David Soliz. Wu has appeared in five games and thrown 11 innings to the tune of a 0.79 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and added 13 strikeouts. 

Thomas Novak came on for the seventh inning and ran into some trouble. The left-hander worked around five walks to limit the damage to two earned runs as the Oaks maintained a 6–2 lead after the seventh.

Hector Valdez worked a clean eighth inning with two strikeouts, and Caden Stillwell, making his first appearance on the mound since June 12, held PBG scoreless in the ninth to secure a 6–2 victory. 

It was a quieter day at the plate for the Oaks offense as a whole. After the second inning, the club only recorded three hits, two coming from the bat of first baseman Danny Aguilera, who ripped his first triple of the summer in the bottom of the fourth. 

The Oaks are back in action tomorrow as they take on the Southern Division-leading Santa Barbara Foresters at Pirate Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.