Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By: Katelyn McLean
Student Writer
SPOKANE, Wash. – Visiting Lewis & Clark eliminated Whitworth from contention for the 2021 Northwest Conference baseball tournament by sweeping the Pirates in a doubleheader at Merkel Field on Sunday and evening the four-game series 2-2. The Pioneers rallied to win the opener 8-7 and held on to win the nightcap 13-10.
L&C improves to 9-23 overall and in the NWC while the Pirates finish the season 16-23, 15-17. Seven Whitworth seniors were recognized prior to the games.
Game one: Lewis and Clark 8, Whitworth 7
An eighth-inning home run from Jack Thomson lifted the Pioneers over the Pirates.
Dylan Moore opened the game with a solo home run for the second day in a row. The Pioneers added to their lead in the second inning when a Jack Savant double scored Sammy Benbow.
Whitworth cut into the Lewis and Clark lead in the second when a Joe Howell single scored Grayson O' Neil.
Zack Kon extended the Pioneer lead to 4-1 with a two-run home run in the third inning. Jaxen Sweum responded in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run, cutting into the lead in half.
The Pirates took the lead in the fourth inning when an Aidan Morrison double scored Joe Howell, and then Dawson Warner hit a two-run home run.
Whitworth extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when a Warner double scored both Gage Gibson and Howell, going up 7-5.
Lewis and Clark rallied in the eighth when Mason Lee scored on a fielder's choice, and then Thomson hit a two-run home run.
Jarred Yara (0-1) was the losing pitcher, giving up four hits and three runs in three innings. Jake Briones started the game for the Pirates.
Cristian Panaro (1-0) was the winning pitcher in relief, giving up only one hit and no runs in two innings pitched. Stephen Baker got his first save of the year, pitching two innings and giving up no hits or runs with one strikeout.
Game two: Lewis and Clark 13, Whitworth 10
Tyler Gannon had four hits and three RBI as posted six-run rallies in both the fourth and the sixth innings.
Whitworth scored in the first when Warner singled to score Morrison and go up 1-0 in the first.
The Lewis and Clark offense exploded in the fourth inning, starting with a Sam Helms double that scored two runs. Luke Bass hit a three-run home run, and David Schmidt hit a two-run home run to charge ahead 6-1.
Warner answered in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to chip away at the Pioneer lead 6-2. Whitworth pulled within one in the fifth after Gage Gibson hit a two-run homer and Warner singled in Aidan Morrison to add another Pirate run.
Lewis and Clark scored six more in the sixth inning with a Moore RBI single and a Gannon double that scored two runs. Gannon then scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead 10-5. The Pioneers wrapped up their scoring run with a Contreras double that scored two runs.
Whitworth's offense showed some life in the sixth inning when a Gibson double scored Jaxen Sweum, and Morrison hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score pinch runner Jacob Doughty.
Lewis and Clark added one more run in the seventh inning with a Gannon single that scored Thomson.
The Pirates made one last effort in the seventh when Gibson singled to score both Doughty and Bedell but fell short 13-10.
Austin Rice (1-4) was the losing pitcher, giving up eight hits and six runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Rice struck out five batters in the loss.
Tyler Shimabukuro (1-2) was the winning pitcher, allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. Closer Dylan Moore pitched the last out of the seventh inning and recorded his third save of the season.
