Baseball: Evans shuts out Shorecrest in Wesco opener

Josh Evans’ arm and bat guided Oak Harbor to a 5-0 win over visiting Shorecrest Friday, March 25, in the Wesco 3A opener.

The two clubs were locked up in a pitchers’ duel until Oak Harbor finally pushed across a run the bottom of the five, and then broke it open on Ryan Byrne’s double in the sixth.

Sam Glavick led off the fifth with a single, but it appeared the Wildcats would add another zero to the scoreboard when the next hitter struck out and the next grounded to second. A wild pitch moved Glavick to third and Peter Franssen walked.

Oak Harbor worked its first-and-third offense to perfection when Franssen broke early from first, rattling the Scot pitcher into a balk, scoring Glavick.

Shorecrest nearly tied it up in the sixth, but Evans worked out of a bases-loaded jam.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jay Stout led off with a walk, then an error off the bat of Yale Rosen put two runners on. After a strikeout, Evans started the scoring in the inning with a sharp single that plated Stout. Glavick singled again, scoring Rosen.

Byrne’s double cleared the bases and finished the scoring, leaving the rest up to Evans to polish off the Scots in the top of the seventh for the shutout.

Evans gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked three.

The win was the Wildcats’ third straight as they pushed their season mark to 3-1-1. Shorecrest is 2-4 (0-1).

The two teams hook up again at Shorecrest Tuesday, March 29, at 4 p.m. The next home game is a non-leaguer with Marysville-Pilchuck (4-0) Friday, April 1, at 4.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

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