SPOKANE, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran scored a ninth-inning run to break a tie and claim the series opener before T.J. Orchard threw eight strong innings in the nightcap to help Whitworth earn a split of a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader at Merkel Field on Saturday. The Lutes won game one, 6-5, before Whitworth took game two, 3-1.
No. 14 Whitworth (13-4, 5-3 NWC) and Pacific Lutheran (10-9, 6-5) will face off Sunday in the rubber match. Sunday's game has been moved up an hour from its originally scheduled time and will begin at 11 a.m. The time change was made due to inclement weather in the forecast.
Garrett Hughes went 5-for-7 with two RBIs and two runs scored to help lead the Whitworth offense on Saturday.
Game 1: Pacific Lutheran 6, Whitworth 5
After Whitworth battled back from a five-run deficit to tie the game, Brett Johnson sent a double down the left-field line with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to plate Ben Welch and break the tie en route to a Pacific Lutheran victory in the opener.
Welch walked to start the ninth inning, advancing to second with a sacrifice bunt before Johnson's clutch hit.
The Lutes had built a 3-0 advantage after two innings. Johnson produced a run-scoring groundout following a single, walk and sacrifice bunt to give the Lutes a 1-0 first-inning lead.
In the second frame, the Lutes scored two runs via a wild pitch and an error. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch scored Jacob Clements as well as Connor Cantu. The wild pitch from Whitworth starter Hugh Smith created a play at the plate when Clements ran home. But the throw from Whitworth catcher Nate Lamberty to Smith covering the plate got by Smith and allowed Cantu to scamper home as well.
The Pacific Lutheran lead extended to 5-0 during the fifth inning. Welch led off the inning with a double, later scoring on a second double from Landon Packard. Packard later scored from second base on a throwing error in the infield.
The Pirates cut into the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Hughes and Jeremy Druffel both singled and stole a base to put runners in scoring position. Hughes then scored on a wild pitch before Druffel came home on a sacrifice fly from JT Phelan.
Whitworth scored three runs with two outs in the sixth inning to tie the game. A two-out walk to Lamberty followed by an RBI double by Hughes brought Whitworth within 5-3. Skyler Lookabill and Druffel both worked two-out walks before Matthew Nelson delivered a two-RBI double down the right-field line to tie the game. Phelan followed with a walk to load the bases but reliever Leif Hansen struck out Jacob Yamane to conclude the inning.
Garrett Brown picked up the win as the Lutes' fourth pitcher of the game, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out the last seven batters he faced. He did not allow a single runner to reach base. Kelly Fitzpatrick took the tough-luck loss for Whitworth, allowing one run over four innings pitched in relief of Smith.
Hughes was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead Whitworth while Welch went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a walk to help lead the Pacific Lutheran offense.
Game 2: Whitworth 3, Pacific Lutheran 1
Orchard surrendered just four hits over eight innings pitched and Whitworth scored one run apiece in the third, fourth and seventh innings to earn a split of the doubleheader.
The Lutes once again struck early as Tyler Thompson scored Brett Johnson with a single through the left side in the second inning following a leadoff double from Johnson.
The Pirates tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning when Lookabill scored on a passed ball. Lookabill had singled with one out, stole second and then advanced to third on a dropped third strike.
Hughes gave Whitworth a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, scoring Jordan McGowan with a two-out single to left-center field. McGowan had led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a single from Nicholas Nerud and then reached third on a double play.
The Pirates doubled their lead in the seventh inning with Jacob Yamane scored Druffel with a sacrifice fly. Druffel had singled to start the inning, advanced to second on a walk and then stole third base.
Arory Milyard relieved Orchard in the ninth inning and earned his second save of the season, stranding the tying run on second base to end the game. A leadoff single by Packard and a one-out walk to Thompson began a rally and both runners advanced on a groundout. But Milyard got pinch-hitter Frank Airey to ground out to third base and end the game.
Orchard (2-0) allowed only one earned run with two strikeouts and two walks. He scattered his four hits and two walks, allowing consecutive runners to reach base just once after the second inning.
Thompson went 2-for-2 with two walks and one RBI while Hughes (2-3, RBI), Nerud (2-4), McGowan (2-4, run) and Druffel (2-5, run) each collected two hits for Whitworth.
