-Blade Contributing Writer Central Arizona College Baseball

(Coolidge) - "He got us out of a few jams" said head coach Anthony Gilich.

"The leadoff guy got on the first three or four innings. He did a great job in damage control" he continued about game one starter Hunter Omlid.

Damage done?

Two runs.

And that was the extent of it all as Central Arizona took game one with a five inning run-rule win, 12-2, over second place South Mountain Community College Tuesday afternoon.

Omlid won his sixth game of the season without a loss.

As usual, Omlid was all around the plate with a combination of pitches, only a ball or two hit hard, and five strikeouts in the five-inning game.

"He had a few more innings in the tank if we needed more" said Gilich.

Technically, you could call this a third straight walk-off win for Central Arizona, as JD McLaughlin got fisted in a difficult at bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth in this one.

A fastball from Cougar reliever TJ Czyz put an end to a great match-up with McLaughlin as McLaughlin got jammed and bounced a ball just far enough to the right side to score pinch-runner Jaylin Rae for the run-rule margin of ten runs.

It wasn't dog pile material, but it got a lot of cheers and a humble smile from McLaughlin.

McLaughlin also started the game breaking third inning with a long homerun to left-field and hit a single as he came up again that same inning when CAC sent eleven batters to the plate.

"We had five straight rbi hits with two outs" said Gilich.

Those five hits were all line drives into center field off of the one pitcher in the nation who had a better ERA than Central pitcher Mat Olsen, in Carter Krosky.

"Yeah, he's really good. The second time around seeing him we did much better."

Preston Godfrey knocked in three runs from the lead-off position, Matt Aribal doubled, and Devon Dixon went two for three, which got him to a torrid 11 for 12 in the last four games.

In game two, the Central starter was Tyler Woessner who sat down nine Cougars in six innings, not giving up a run, and scattering three hits.

In the bottom of the first after the South Mountain starter got the second out of the inning with bases loaded, Dixon crashed a long hard hit ball to dead middle right field and and it's a first inning grand slam.

It's an immeasurable value to any starters head when you can go out for the second inning with a 4-0 lead and Woessner (6-0) proved that.

Woessner has an ERA of 1.69 in 32 innings pitched.

"This was probably Woessner's best outing this year" said Gilich.

"Efficient, throwing strikes, and in command."

Dixon also singled again and walked, making that 13 for 15 in his last five games.

How do you do that?

Honestly, the word was about his defense and fabulous throwing arm. This baseball staff seems like it's really getting the most out of each of it's players, in the toughest D1 conference in the country no less.

Kiko Romero singled in two runs and Godfrey walked with bases loaded to bring in another run.

"Kiko is a great hitter and everyone knows it. He has always hit anywhere he's been" said Gilich.

"Godfrey is doing very well in the lead-off spot, he walks more than he strikes out and seems likes he's always making something happen out there with his bat or his legs."

Amazing Stat:

JD McLaughlin, as a two-way player, currently has a 27.00 per 9 innings pitched strikeout ratio. With two-thirds of an inning pitched Tuesday and four over all appearances, every one of his outs is a K.

There is a dash in his runs-given-up column.

I've never seen a 27.00 K/9IP strikeout number.  Ever.

Central Arizona won their 26th straight game with a game two 7-1 final.