PASCO, Wash. – Jeremy Druffel's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Whitworth to a 5-3 non-conference win over fellow Northwest Conference member Puget Sound at Gesa Stadium in the Spring into Spring Classic on Sunday. The Pirates dropped their second game of the day, 5-2 to NAIA-member Corban University.
Whitworth is now 4-3-1 this season.
Game 1 – Whitworth 5, Puget Sound 3
The Pirates built a 3-0 lead, saw the Loggers rally to tie the game, then won it with a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Carson Blumenthal threw well enough to get the win, but he finished with no decision after giving up only two runs on six hits in 7.1 innings of work. He struck out three and walked two. Michael Renner pitched to three batters in the eighth before Taylor Isadore (1-1) came on to finish the game with 1.2 innings of one-hit relief.
Nathan Jewett singled home Whitworth's first run during a two-run second inning. Danny Jordan added an RBI single in the fifth that gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Puget Sound got one run back in the sixth on Bobby Hosmer's RBI single through the left side of the infield. The Loggers then tied the game in the eighth. With the bases loaded pinch-hitter Addison Melzer singled home a run. Connor Savage took a full-count pitch for ball four two batters later that tied the game with two outs.
Blake Thoren's double put runners on second and third for Whitworth with one out in the eighth. After a second out was recorded, Druffel singled home Thoren and Jewett with the winning runs. Druffel was thrown out on the play trying to go to second base.
An error and a hit put two UPS runners on base for Isadore in the ninth. But he got the next two batters on fly-ball outs to end the game.
Josh Davis went 3-3 at the plate for Whitworth while Jewett and Thoren both had a pair of hits.
UPS out-hit Whitworth 10-9 with Christian Carter, Lucas Stone and Hosmer all getting two hits. Nathan Aguiar started on the mound for the Loggers and allowed three runs on five hits. Stone (0-1) threw the final three innings and took the loss after giving up two runs on four hits.
Game 2 – Corban 5, Whitworth 2
The Pirates struggled to get the bats going and five Whitworth errors helped the Warriors' cause as the Bucs dropped their first game after winning three previous starts at the Swing into Spring Classic.
Corban picked up three runs in the opening frame after the first two batters were out. Lance Foster singled home Derek Legg, who had doubled, with the first run. Foster was one of two more runs that came around to score on two Whitworth errors.
Legg opened the third with an infield single then eventually scored on a bunt single by Nate Williams for a 4-0 Corban lead.
Whitworth got two runs back in the fourth inning. Jewett legged out an infield single that drove in Tyler Pfeffer and Davis was able to score when the throw got away at first base.
Corban added its final run in the eighth inning when Legg reached on an error in the infield and Steven Kha scored. Marc Gallegos was thrown out at the plate on the same play, but Whitworth catcher Davis was injured in the collision and had to leave the game.
Foster finished with two hits and two RBIs to lead Corban at the plate. Gallegos and Legg also had a pair of hits. Jacob Kopra threw five innings to earn the win on the mound. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Caleb Virtue tossed the final four innings and did not allow a run to pick up his first save of the season.
Whitworth was limited to five hits in the game, by five different players. Nick Scourey (0-2) started on the mound for Whitworth and gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven innings. Zach Shuholm threw the final two innings.
Whitworth will not return to the field until March 2nd at the University of Texas-Tyler.
Corban and Willamette will play the final game of the Swing into Spring Classic on Monday at 11:00 am.
