PORTLAND, Ore. – Whitworth University got two stellar starting pitching performances on Saturday at Lewis & Clark College, but the visiting Pirates could only come away with one win in the Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader. Whitworth won the opener 8-0 but the Pioneers rallied to win the nightcap 7-6 in 10 innings.
AJ Woodward and Dylan Huntsman each threw seven strong innings in his start for the Bucs (11-6, 2-3 NWC).
The teams will complete the three-game series with a single contest on Sunday.
Game 1 – Whitworth 8, Lewis & Clark 0
Woodward (2-0) threw seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits while striking out five and allowing no walks to earn his second win in his best outing of the season.
The Pirates got on the board in the first inning when Caleb Gray's RBI single scored Austin Paul. Gray was out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Aidan Morrison went to third on the play and he scored on Brock Molenda's ground out to first base for a 2-0 lead.
Paul scored on Gray's ground out in the third for a 3-0 lead. Morrison made it 5-0 in the seventh with his second home run of the season.
Carson Coffield put the game out of reach with a three-run shot to left field in the top of the ninth.
Seth Mahler finished up on the mound, replacing Woodward for the final two frames. He gave up one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.
Owen Eisen (0-1) took the loss on the mound for L&C after allowing three runs on four hits and five walks in six innings.
Game 2 – Lewis & Clark 7, Whitworth 6 (10 inn.)
Whitworth led 6-2 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning, but the bullpen struggled and could not hold onto the win after Huntsman's strong start.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, the Pirates scored four runs to take the lead. The first two scored on Coffield's double down the left field line. Coffield scored on Ty Quiggle's single and Quiggle eventually scored on Austin Paul's single.
L&C got back within 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Will Heron led off with a double and eventually scored on Bret Potter's infield single.
The Pirates appeared to get important insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. Paul drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh for a 5-2 lead and Coffield added another RBI double in the eighth to make it 6-2. Huntsman left with that lead after scattering seven hits with four strikeouts.
L&C (6-5 overall, 2-3 NWC) rallied with three in the bottom of the eighth on only one hit. Connor Ashworth relieved Huntsman and hit consecutive batters before issuing a walk to load the bases with no one out. Justin Cavagnaro was hit, forcing in a run. Potter followed with an RBI single, forcing Ashworth from the game. Luke Stutesman came on in relief and induced a 6-4-3 double play, which scored the third run. Stutesman struck out Evyn Lewis with the tying run on third base to end the threat.
The Pioneers tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. After Stutesman got the first two batters out, the next three walked to load the bases. Cavagnaro got his second RBI of the game without swinging the bat when he became the fourth consecutive walk. Nathaniel Kurano came on in relief and struck out Potter on a 3-2 pitch to send the game to extra innings.
Whitworth did not threaten in the top of the 10th. L&C got a lead off single. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, Brandon Gonzaga delivered an RBI single that scored Michael Aikawa with the winning run. Kurano (0-1) got the loss.
Caden Hodina started for the Pioneers and allowed four runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. Three relievers followed, with Nate Kerr (2-0) getting the win after tossing two scoreless innings of relief.
