Marshall Guyer hit his first career home run and struck out nine batters on the mound as Northwest Christian won an 11-9 thriller against Ocosta at the Regional Athletic Complex Monday.
Guyer finished 3 of 4 at the plate with three runs batted in, and he gave up just two hits over 4.2 innings but allowed six runs and six walks.
Ocosta scored its first run in the first inning without needing a hit, touching home plate after a hit batter, a walk and an error. Guyer’s RBI single in the first tied the game, and Myles McLain brought home two on a double. Guyer blasted a home run on a 1-0 pitch to left field to lead off the third inning, and Kanakoa Paresa added a sacrifice groundout to put the Wolverines ahead 5-1 through three.
The two teams exchanged a run apiece in the fourth before the Wildcats’ bats came alive in the fourth. Ocosta chased Guyer from the game with two doubles, two walks, and a passed ball to score two runs. McLain entered for Guyer and gave up a walk with the bases loaded and a game-tying single, both with two outs.
Jadon Dillingham came up clutch in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff single, and he eventually scored on a passed ball to give Northwest Christian a 7-6 lead. Ocosta responded with a run in the sixth, and Guyer delivered again in the bottom of the sixth, lining a go-ahead single to left field. Bennett Hall provided an insurance run with an RBI single on the ensuing at bat, and a wild pitch and an error by Ocosta scored two more for the Wolverines.
Down four, the Wildcats put pressure on Paresa, scoring two runs and loading the bases with two outs. But Paresa forced the final batter to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
“It was really good to see the defense play fundamentally sound baseball again. That was something we really missed last week,” Northwest Christian head coach Jordan Potis said. “I have to give a shoutout to freshman Koa Paresa for getting some tough outs at the end of the game to secure the win.”
Northwest Christian (5-3, 2-3 Sea-Tac League) will visit Darrington for the second meeting between the two teams on Friday, April 17. The Wolverines won the first matchup 20-2 on March 19.
