By: Katelyn McLean
Student Writer

TACOMA, Wash.— Whitworth University stayed alive in the chase for the final spot in the Northwest Conference baseball tournament with a doubleheader sweep at Puget Sound on Sunday. The Pirates won the first game 3-2 after an eighth-inning go-ahead double by Jaxen Sweum and scored nine straight runs in the nightcap to secure a 10-3 victory.

Whitworth (14-21 overall, 13-15 NWC) takes on Lewis & Clark (7-21 overall and NWC) next Thursday and Friday at Merkel Field.  The Pirates trail Whitman (16-12 NWC) by three games with four games left to play and will need a sweep of the Pioneers to have a chance at the final NWC tournament spot.

Puget Sound finishes this series 14-18 overall, 10-16 in conference and closes the 2021 campaign at Whitman.

Game one: Whitworth 3, Puget Sound 2
Jake Briones pitched 7.2 strong innings and Jaxen Sweum hit a go-ahead double in the eighth to lift Whitworth to a game one victory.

The Loggers got on the board in the first inning when Jonas Kim singled home Kyle Strash.  Dylan Joyce hit a solo-home run in the bottom of the third inning, putting the Loggers up 2-0.

Whitworth tied the score in the seventh inning when Ryan Gross singled with two outs to score both David Bedell and Luke Bruno.   The Pirates took the lead in the eighth inning when a Jaxen Sweum delivered a two-out double that scored Joe Howell.

Briones (1-1) was the winning pitcher, giving up ten hits but only two runs in 7.2 innings pitched. Briones did not walk a batter and had two strikeouts. Hunter Dryden got his fourth save of the season, and second of the weekend, giving up only one hit in one inning.

Davis Miller (3-6) was the losing pitcher, despite only giving up six hits and three runs in eight innings. Only one of those runs was earned, as the Logger defense committed four errors in the game.

Game two: Whitworth 10, Puget Sound 3
Jaxen Sweum and David Bedell's three RBI each propelled the Pirates to an explosive fifth inning and a win in the nightcap.

Bedell was the first to put a run on the board with a solo-home run in the top of the second inning.

Puget Sound answered in the second with a Makana Murashige RBI single.  The Loggers added two runs in the fourth inning when Clayton Waltz homered for a 3-1 Logger lead.

Whitworth scored five runs in the fifth inning, starting with an Aidan Morrison sacrifice fly that scored David Bedell. Joe Howell singled to left field to score Ryan Gross, and Dawson Warner doubled to score Howell to take the lead 4-3. Sweum also doubled to score Dawson Warner, and Duncan singled to score Sweum to end the Pirates' rally.

The Pirates scored three more runs in the seventh inning to seal the victory. Sweum hit a two-run home run, and Bedell singled to score Duncan. Gross singled to left field to score JJ Fahnlander.

Howell went 4-4 at the plate in the nightcap.

Austin Rice (1-3) picked up his first pitching win of the season, pitching four innings and allowing six hits and three runs. Rice recorded three strikeouts.  Jarred Yara allowed only one hit in three innings of relief to claim his first save. 

Peter Fagan (2-1) pitched 4.2 innings for the Loggers and gave up six hits and five runs.