SPOKANE, WASH– Whitworth leaned on a dominant outing from Hunter Dryden and a big offensive day as they rolled past Pacific Lutheran in both games of Sunday's Northwest Conference doubleheader at Markel Field.
The Pirates (9-0, 2-0 NWC) continued to build on their best start since 2016, while the Lutes (1-8, 0-2 NWC) lost their eighth straight. Only two games were played in the weekend's series after Saturday's doubleheader was postponed due to weather. The Pirates will host Eastern Oregon next weekend before returning to conference play.
Game 1 – Whitworth 14, Pacific Lutheran 1
Dryden pitched seven shutout innings and punched out ten batters to lead Whitworth to a win in its conference opener.
Dryden has been nothing short of spectacular this far into the 2024 season. Dryden has now pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings to start off his senior campaign setting a new program record. Seth Mahler pitched two innings of relief and allowed just one run on two hits.
The Bucs' offense got things started in the second inning with five runs off of Aidan Morrison's two RBI double and Elijah Tanner's three-run home run to left center. Tanner finished 4-5 at the plate with four RBIs.
Whitworth added on in the third with Spencer Shipman's solo shot to left field.
In the fourth inning, Tanner kept things rolling for the Pirates with an RBI double to right center. Henry Zaske quickly followed with an RBI single of his own and then a Pacific Lutheran fielding error allowed for the third run of the inning to cross for Whitworth.
The Pirates were able to tack on two more runs in the fifth inning, before Spencer Shipman blew the game open belting his second home run of the game in the seventh frame to give the Bucs a 14-0 lead.
Pacific Lutheran scored their sole run in the eighth inning with Ashton Barton's solo home run to left field. Matthew Sherwood (0-1) allowed eight runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings as the Pacific Lutheran starter. The Lutes used three relievers to finish the final frames.
Game 2 – Whitworth 7, Pacific Lutheran 4
Shipman's three-run blast in the sixth inning, his third home run of the day, helped Whitworth finish off the sweep with a 7-4 win over the Lutes.
On the mound, Jack Leary (2-0), pitched six innings, allowing just two runs on four hits. In relief, Hunter Williams got the save pitching the final three innings, allowing two runs on three hits.
The Bucs' offense got started early as they have done so often this season. Austin Paul led off the game with a double to left center field and later came around to score on a Pacific Lutheran throwing error to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead after the first inning.
PLU kept Whitworth's bats at bay until the fourth inning when Shipman and Quiggle recorded a pair of RBI doubles, and the Bucs led 3-0.
The Lutes' bats showed signs of life in the fifth with Hayden Kaiser's RBI double and Peter King's sacrifice fly out to draw them within a run.
But it was Shipman's third home run of the day, a three-run blast to right field in part of a four run sixth inning, that proved to be the dagger. The home run helped Whitworth to a 7-2 lead, and they were able to close it out from there.
PLU threatened with a single run in each of the eighth and ninth innings but would ultimately come up short and fall to the Bucs, 7-4.
Kamryn Swartz (0-1) started on the mound for the Lutes while allowing five earned runs in just five innings pitched. Reliever, Chris Moreno pitched the final three innings and allowed just one run.
