By: Katelyn McLean
Student Writer

SPOKANE, Wash--Visiting Willamette put up 25 runs on Whitworth in a high-scoring first game then won an extra-innings nightcap to sweep a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Merkel Field.

The Bearcats won the opener 25-11 and then took the second game 6-5 in eight innings to advance to 17-9 overall and 11-7 in conference. The Pirates fall to 6-16 overall, 5-9 in conference. The two teams play another doubleheader on Sunday.

Game One: Willamette 25, Whitworth 11
Jeff Hoffman had three hits and seven runs-batted-in to lead the Bearcats to an explosive offensive output.

The Bearcat offense started early and scored thirteen unanswered runs over the first six innings. An Ethan Fischel double scored two runs, and a Tyler Vandemark sacrifice fly put Willamette up 3-0 in the first. The Bearcats added a run in the second on a solo home run by Sean Little.

Willamette's offense continued in the fourth with a Michael Nelsen double that scored two runs. Samuel Daly hit a two-run home run to build the Bearcat lead to 7-0.

The Bearcats scored two more runs in the fifth when Little walked with the bases loaded to score a run, and a Luke Werkmeister-Martin sacrifice fly scored Jeff Hoffman.  In the sixth, Vandemark singled to left field to score a run, and Hoffman hit a three-run home run to put Willamette up 13-0.

Whitworth got on the board in the sixth inning when a Brendan Duncan RBI single scored Luke Bruno. Ryan Gross hit a two run home run, chipping away at the Bearcat lead 13-3.

Willamette added to their lead in the seventh inning with RBI singles from Clint Walker and Ben Setlak. A Hoffman grand slam scored four more runs to put the Bearcats up 19-3.

The Pirates avoided a ten-run rule finish by scoring seven times in the bottom of the seventh.  Bruno's double to right center field scored Ethan Schulte. Dawson Warner scored on a throwing error to add a run. Ryan Gross walked with the bases loaded to score Bruno. Gage Gibson concluded the rally with a grand slam that brought the score to 19-10.

Whitworth narrowed the deficit again in the eighth inning with a Duncan RBI single.

The Bearcats scored six runs in the ninth, starting with a Setlak double that scored a run. Layton Wagner also doubled to score a run, and a Waldichuk grand slam sealed the game for the Bearcats.

Josh Grimes (2-1) got the pitching loss for Whitworth, giving up nine hits and ten runs in five innings.

Layton Wagner was the winning pitcher for Willamette, giving up seven hits and only three runs in six innings.

Game Two: Willamette 6, Whitworth 5
Despite a three-run home run by Aidan Morrison and three strikeouts by Dylan Bishop, Willamette scored twice in the extra eighth inning to seal a victory.

Willamette went up 1-0 in the second on a Fischel solo home run.  Werkmeister-Martin added a solo home run in the third inning for a 2-0 lead.

Whitworth scored most of its runs in the third inning with an Aidan Morrison three-run home run and a Jaxen Sweum RBI single to go ahead 4-2.

A Joey Faduskar triple scored Hoffman and cut into Whitworth's lead 4-3 in the fourth inning.

Hoffman tied the game with a solo-home run in the top of the sixth. The game remained tied 4-4 at the end of the seventh inning, which pushed the nightcap into an extra eighth inning.

The Bearcats scored two runs in the eighth when Daly scored on a passed ball, and Hoffman singled to score Fischel.

 The Pirates rallied in the bottom of the eighth when Sweum ground out but the runners advanced to score Morrison. However, the Pirates were only able to score one run and fell to the Bearcats in game two. Willamette's Brady Joiner (4-0) got a strikeout to end the game with the potential tying run on third base to pick up the win in relief.

Brett Thomas (1-3) was the losing pitcher for Whitworth in relief, giving up two hits and two runs.  Bishop allowed four runs on five hits in six innings as the starter.