FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Whitworth University dropped both halves of a Northwest Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon to Pacific University, 6-2 and 14-7 at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
The Pirates (15-9 overall, 6-6 NWC) lost a conference series for the first time in a month. The Boxers (7-11 overall, 7-5 NWC) have won seven of their last nine games since an 0-9 start to the season.
Whitworth will try to bounce back next weekend when the Bucs host Willamette University at Merkel Field.
Game 1 – Pacific 6, Whitworth 2
Matt Gibbs went 3-4 with three RBIs and Chance Wallace pitched well into the seventh inning to lead the Boxers to a win in the doubleheader opener.
Gibbs drove in the game's first run with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. He also drilled a two-run home run in the fifth. In between Trevor Kazahaya had a two-run single in the fourth inning that gave Pacific a 4-1 lead.
Whitworth scored its first run in the fourth when Caleb Gray scored from third base on a passed ball with the bases loaded. Gray added an RBI single in the seventh for the game's final run.
Wallace (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out 12 Pirate batters to pick up his first win of the season. William Merriott and Hunter Edwards combined to shut out Whitworth over the final three frames.
Quentin O'Connor (4-2) allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits over six innings to suffer his second loss. Rylen Blair pitched the final two innings and did not allow a run on three hits.
Gray finished 3-4 at the plate, while Dominic Giusti had two hits.
Game 2 – Pacific 14, Whitworth 7
The Pirates could not hold an early 4-0 lead and the Boxers used a 7-run fifth inning to pull away for the doubleheader sweep.
Carson Coffield hit a two-run home run in the first, while Giusti and Aidan Morrison added RBI's in the second to put Whitworth ahead 4-0.
The Boxers got on the board with three in the bottom of the second, including a home run by Benjamin Lewis, to get within 4-3. Coffield drilled a solo home run in the third to extend the Bucs' margin to 5-3.
Pacific tied the game in the bottom of the third before Kyle Memarian's RBI single in the fifth gave the Pirates their final lead of the game (6-5).
The Boxers poured seven runs across in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 12-6. Kazahaya's RBI single started the rally and Gibbs had a three-run triple to make it 11-6.
Gibbs added an RBI single in the seventh. Austin Paul scored on a passed ball in the eighth for Whitworth's final run. Pacific's final run came on Kazahaya's sacrifice fly.
Gibbs led Pacific with four RBIs, while Kazahaya added three. Benjamin Lewis went 4 for 5 with three runs scored for the Boxers.
Nicholas Saelens (3-3) endured on the mound to get the win after allowing six runs on 10 hits and three walks over 7.0 innings. Matt Palmateer threw the eighth and Edwards pitched the ninth for the second straight game.
Dylan Huntsman (three runs on five hits) started for Whitworth and pitched two innings. Connor Ashworth allowed six runs on six hits and two walks in his two frames to suffer the loss. Luke Stutesman gave up three runs on three hits in two innings, while Seth Mahler (two runs, three hits) pitched the final two frames.
Coffield went 3-5 with three RBIs and three runs. Kevin Corder also had three hits for the Bucs.
