Junior right hander Gary Moran gave up one run over eight innings to lead the 4th-ranked Sonoma State baseball team to a 15-2 victory over Nebraska-Kearney Thursday afternoon in the first round of the West Regional in Chico, Calif.
UNK (33-26), seeing a seven game win streak snapped, will play again Friday at 1:00 p.m. Central against fifth-seed Western Oregon. The Wolves lost to second-seeded UC San Diego, 5-3, in the second game of the tournament.
The sixth-seeded Lopers, who rallied from a 7-0 deficit to upset the Seawolves in last year’s first round game, had two runners reach base in the first and second innings but none scored.
UNK came into the NCAA Tournament having scored at least 10 runs in six straight games.
RMAC Pitcher of the Year Ryan Sheldon (8-5) gave up eight earned runs on 12 hits and two walks in 4.1 innings pitched. The big right hander did fan three Sonoma batters, giving him 96 for the year to break Neal Arnold’s school record (93/1997).