By: Katelyn McLean
Student Writer

FOREST GROVE, Ore -- Jordan Hara's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth lifted Pacific to a 5-4 win over visiting Whitworth in the opening game of the Northwest Conference baseball tournament on Thursday afternoon at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.

The top-seeded Boxers (28-12) advance to a winners' bracket game on Friday at 1:00 pm. The Pirates (16-24), who replaced Whitman as the fourth seed in the tournament, will play a loser-out game against Willamette or Pacific Lutheran on Friday at 10:00 am. 

The Pirates got on the board first when Aidan Morrison reached base on a fielder's choice and Ryan Gross scored from third in the top of the second.

Pacific took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Isaac Lovings singled to right field to score both Tyler Quinn and Brad Altomere.  The Boxers added to their lead in the fourth inning when Altomere singled to score Quinn, and later in the inning Chase Anderson tripled to score Atomere.

Neither team scored again until the eighth inning when Gage Gibson doubled to drive in Jaxen Sweum, cutting into the lead 4-2.

Whitworth tied the game in the ninth inning when Dawson Warner doubled to score Morrison and Brendan Duncan doubled to send home Warner.

Hara's single scored Anderson from second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Brett Thomas (2-4) gave up three hits and one run in 2.2 innings of relief and was the losing pitcher.  Dylan Bishop started for the Bucs and gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings pitched. Bishop also had two strikeouts.

Davis Koester (4-1) was the winning pitcher in relief. He allowed four hits and two runs in two innings of relief.

First team All-NWC honoree Will Clark started on the mound for the Boxers.  He gave up seven hits and two runs in seven innings pitched. Clark also recorded three strikeouts.