SALEM, Ore. – Whitworth dropped both games of a Northwest Conference series doubleheader against Willamette on Sunday at John Lewis Field. Willamette's offense recorded 24 hits on Sunday outscoring the Pirates 19-9 across the two games.
The doubleheader was pushed back to Sunday due to inclement conditions at John Lewis Field on Saturday.
Whitworth (6-16, 3-8 NWC) and Willamette (14-7, 9-5 NWC) will finish the series with a single game on Monday starting at noon.
Game 1 – Willamette 3, Whitworth 2 (10 inn.)
Willamette scored the winning run in the tenth inning on a bases loaded balk.
The Pirates threw the first punch in the third inning with two runs when Hunter Dryden drove in Riley Cissne with a double, and quickly scored on Austin Paul's single. The Bearcats cut the two-run deficit in half with a solo home run in the fourth inning from Ethan Fischel.
Whitworth threatened in the eighth inning with the bases loaded but were unable to drive in any runs, the Pirates stranded 10 runners on base in the game. Willamette's Fischel struck again in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single to tie the game 2-2.
In the tenth inning the Bearcat's loaded the bases with one out. On the first pitch in Jonny Suchor's at bat a balk was called, scoring Carl Lawson from third base and giving Whitworth the 3-2 loss.
Willamette's starting pitcher Layton Wagner threw seven innings allowing two runs on six hits. Logan Haslam (2-0) threw three scoreless innings of relief.
Giovanni Costello started for the Pirates, allowing just one run on two hits through six innings. Hunter Williams (0-3) gave up two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief.
The Pirates had nine hits in the game led by Dawson Warner and Austin Paul, with two apiece.
Game 2 – Willamette 16, Whitworth 7
The Pirates were within 8-7 in the fifth inning, but Willamette's offense tallied 17 hits and scored in seven of the eight frames to win game two of the doubleheader.
In the first inning Elijah Tanner put Whitworth on the scoreboard with an RBI single to right center. Aidan Morrison created a three-run lead after his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field. Willamette's offense responded with authority scoring five runs in the bottom half of the first to take the lead.
The Pirates pulled within 5-4 in the second inning with Aaron Clogston's sacrifice fly to right field.
Willamette scored two runs in the third inning, and one run in the fourth to take a 4-8 lead.
Jacob Doughty's RBI double to center field highlighted a three-run fifth inning for the Bucs. Paul knocked in a run with a groundout and Warner recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
It was all Bearcats for the remainder of the game as their offense exploded for eight runs in the last four innings.
EJ McGrew started for Willamette and allowed four runs in 1.2 innings. Pruitt Spritzer (5-0) got the win after allowing three runs 3.1 innings of relief. Three other Bearcats followed and shutout the Bucs over the final four frames.
Whitworth's starting pitcher Hunter Dryden (4-2) went just 0.2 innings allowing five runs on two hits. Dylan Bishop (2.1IP, 5H, 2R), Landon Shigeta (3IP, 5H, 3R), Aidan Smith (0.2IP, 3H, 3R), Hudson Andrews (1.1IP, 2H, 3R) all worked in relief.
The Pirates offense was led by Henry Zaske (3 for 4) and Aidan Morrison (2 for 4, 2 RBI's, 1 HR).
