SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth dropped both games of a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader against visiting Puget Sound on Saturday at Merkel Field. The Pirates fell in the opener 8-1, and came close but fell short in the nightcap 6-5.
Whitworth (9-25, 6-17 NWC) will play the series finale against Puget Sound (18-13, 12-11 NWC) on Sunday at 11:00 am.
Game 1 – Puget Sound 8, Whitworth 1
Logger pitcher Davis Franklin (8-2) threw a complete game while allowing just seven hits. Franklin also waved seven batters and allowed just one walk.
Puget Sound's first run of the game came in the fourth inning on Gabe Huante's RBI groundout, after Makana Murashige led off with a double to left center. The fifth was a big seven-run, six-hit inning for the Loggers, highlighted by William Gross' three RBI double down the left field line that gave them an 8-0 lead.
The Bucs' sole run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run from Hunter Dryden, marking his third dinger of the season.
Whitworth's starting pitcher Dylan Bishop (2-5) completed 4.1 innings giving up 11 hits and seven runs. In relief, Josh Grimes allowed one run in 3.2 innings, and Boe Hesse pitched the final inning.
Aidan Morrison's three-hit performance led the Pirates offense.
Game 2 – Puget Sound 6, Whitworth 5
Whitworth's Jacob Doughty hit his first career home run, a timely three-run shot to tie up the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Bucs' grabbed an early 1-0 lead after Austin Paul singled to bring around Morrison in the second inning.
Dylan Joyce responded for the Loggers with a two-run home run in the third inning, marking his 12th of the season. In the fourth inning, a solo home run from Huante and an RBI single from Sean Murphy gave Puget Sound a 4-1 lead.
After Dryden led off the seventh inning with a single, and Morrison reached base on a walk, it was Doughty's three-run home run that tied up the game for the Pirates.
Puget Sound's Franklin retaliated to take back the lead with a two RBI double down the right field line in the eighth.
The Bucs' scored once more in the bottom of the eighth on Dryden's RBI double.
Brett Harvey (5-0) worked through 6.1 innings on the mound for UPS, allowing seven hits and four runs. Cal Johnson (1IP, 3H, 1ER) and Joe Schwab (1.2IP, 0H, 0ER, 1SV) pitched in relief.
Landon Shigeta (0-2) started for the Pirates, completing three innings and allowing four runs on five hits. Out of the bullpen was Hunter Williams (4.1IP, 7H, 2ER) and Riley Whelan (1.2IP, 1H).
