Central Washington loses a pair of one-run games at Kennewick

KENNEWICK — Central Washington lost a pair of close games to the Kennewick Outlaws 1-0, 5-4.

Paige Aldrich spun a complete game, two-hitter in Game 1. Aldrich struck out five batters in seven innings.

Ezekyel Ochoa put together an impressive performance on the bump for the Spuds. Ochoa allowed one run on five hits in six innings.

Ochoa, along with Zach Valdez, accounted for the Spuds’s two hits.

Ochoa and Aldrich kept thing scoreless through five innings. Kennewick finally broke through in the sixth inning when Jackson Lind hit an RBI single that scored Talon LaFontaine.

The Spuds briefly held a 3-0 lead in Game 2 before the Outlaws responded with a five-run second inning.

Wade Visker started the Spuds’ first-inning flurry with an RBI single that scored Kameron Huberdeau, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.

Visker came all the way around to score on a wild pitch and Tre Ramirez scored Zach Valdez on a sacrifice fly.

However, the lead was short-lived as Kennewick promptly loaded the bases in the second inning.

A bases-loaded walk and two-run single by LaFontaine tied the game 3-3. Tim Gee followed with another two-run single to give the Outlaws the lead for good.

Ochoa added an RBI single in the third inning to cut the deficit to one run, but that was as close as the Spuds would get.

From the fourth inning on, both teams were held scoreless.

Travis Robertson and Visker combined to pitch four innings of scoreless relief.

More, Visker finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI.

— Staff report