PORTLAND, Ore. – Tyler Pfeffer went 3-6 with a pair of three-run home runs to lead visiting Whitworth to a 9-1 win at Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference baseball game on Friday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex.

The Pirates improved to 15-10-1 overall and 9-4 in the NWC and stayed within two games of league-leading Pacific (Ore.) (12-2).  The Pioneers fell to 6-26, 3-13.  The teams will complete the three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to start at noon.

It is the second time this season that Pfeffer has homered twice in a game and the second time he has driven in six runs in a game.  Pfeffer leads the NWC in both categories with nine home runs and 40 RBIs.

Pfeffer's three-run shot in the third gave Whitworth a 3-0 lead.  His second three-run homer of the game came in the fifth inning.  Kevin Valerio followed with a two-run single, also in the fifth, for an 8-0 Whitworth lead.  Paul Miller hit his first career home run as a Pirate in the seventh.

L&C got on the board in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single by lead-off batter Eric Hyun.

Whitworth starting pitcher Carson Blumenthal cruised through the first seven innings, allowing only three hits while striking out five and walking one batter.  He improved to 4-3 this season.  Kash Hieb (one run) and James King each threw an inning for the Bucs.

Miller went 3-5 at the plate for the Pirates, while JR Jarrell also had a pair of hits.

Mike Hathaway (1-8) allowed all nine runs in 8.1 innings for L&C.  Only six of those runs were earned.