67 degrees or 27 degrees?

Where would you prefer to play 14 innings of NJCAA baseball?

Hey Sparts! Can we give you a call in August? Because we'll take your 85 and you can have our 115.

It's a working vacation for Colorado Northwestern, but not really. The "vacation" continues with Pima Community College and the #2 ranked College of Southern Nevada after that. Central Arizona entertains the Spartans for the final fourth game on Friday.

After winning the season opener by 20-3, the #1 ranked National Champions put together quite a day all around with a pitching staff that struck out 25 batters in 14 innings and an offense that ripped six homeruns in Thursday's double header.

Game one seemed like it wasn't as close as the score. When starter Tyler Woessner left after five innings, the score was 4-1 Central, but when you figure in that Woessner struck out seven of the 17 batters he faced and gave up one hit and an unearned run, the close score didn't tell the real story.

The final was 6-1 with Shane Spencer and DJ Carpenter each throwing hitless, scoreless innings to close up shop. First baseman Kiko Romero and second baseman Dayton Dooney both hit long ones, right fielder Preston Godfrey added a double, and cleanup left-fielder JD McLaughlin added two singles to account for five of the Vaq's seven hits.

When you have the cleanup hitter swiping bags, it's pretty much an overall indication of what kind of team Central has this year. McLaughlin stole two more in game two, for four on the day.

It's basepath mayhem again.

At one point in the first game, McLaughlin singled, and on a ball that got by the Spartans catcher, took second, kept running to third, forced a throw that was bobbled, didn't stop running, then scored. This is the kind of behavior that won the National Championship for these Cowboys.

Hunter Omlid started game two and threw four and 2/3 on a pitch count. He faced 17 batters and struck out ten. Zero passes.

"He is all around the plate with his pretty-much-over-the-top fastball with movement" said head coach Anthony Gilich.

"By the time these hitters start to swing, the ball moves and we see a lot of weak contact" he added.

Leo Palacios finished the final two and a third with five strikeouts and Central swept with an 8-0 final.

Dooney crashed his second and third homeruns of the day to left hitting right-handed, infielder Matt Aribal added another and catcher Hayden Seldomridge yet another.

Seldomridge is three-for three this season, all pinch-hitting, including the game two homer.

"Our catchers are doing really well" said Gilich. "Ryan Grabosch threw out two runners in the first game with outstanding throws."

Third baseman Tyler Griggs doubled, Jaylin Rae and McLaughlin each stole two bases and Dusty Garcia one in Thursday's second game.

-Blade

Central Arizona Baseball Beat