By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Willamette University baseball team traded leads with host Lewis and Clark College before dropping a close 7-6 decision in game one of a Northwest Conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 12 in Portland. The rain started to fall in the late innings and forced game two to be postponed. The Bearcats slipped to 6-8 overall and 4-6 in the NWC. Lewis and Clark improved to 9-7 on the year and 4-4 in the conference.
The Bearcats put three runs on the board in the second inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Layton Wagner (Jr., RHP/IF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) started things off with a double and moved to third on a single from junior Clint Walker (OF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS). Wagner came in to score as Samuel Daly (Jr., OF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) reached on an error.
The Bearcats loaded the bases and Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Jr., IF, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) drew an RBI walk to score Walker. Jeff Hoffman (So., IF, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) lofted a sacrifice fly to bring in Daly for the 3-0 advantage.
Lewis and Clark used a pair of two-run doubles to immediately pull in front, 4-3, in the bottom half of the inning. Brennan Davis connected with his second RBI double of the game in the third to stretch the Pioneer advantage to 5-3.
Ethan Fischel (Sr., IF, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) hit a solo homerun in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4 and the Bearcats briefly took a 6-5 lead with two runs in the seventh. Fischel reached on a double and quickly came around to score on a single from Jonny Suchor (Jr., IF, Boulder, CO/Boulder).
Drew Baskin (Fy., IF, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo Grande HS) came on to pinch-run, moving to second on a balk. He scored to put Willamette on top as Wagner slipped a single through the left side of the infield.
The Pioneers regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh, using another RBI double and adding a sacrifice fly to head into the eighth, in front 7-6.
Willamette put runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to produce the equalizer as Lewis and Clark claimed the opening game of the series. Werkmeister-Martin led the Bearcats at the plate, going 2-for-3 while Fischer and Wagner each recorded two hits in the game.
Wagner went three innings on the mound, recording four strikeouts. Brady Joyner (So., RHP, Nevada, LV/Shadow Ridge HS) suffered the loss, adding two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief.
The teams are scheduled to play another doubleheader on Sunday. The first pitch of game one is slated for 11:00 a.m. (PDT)