By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Ethan Fischel (Grad., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) pounded out a double and a home run while earning four RBIs to lead Willamette University to an 11-1 victory over Whitworth University in a Northwest Conference baseball game at John Lewis Field on Monday, March 27. Willamette swept the three-game series, after also winning 3-2 in 10 innings and 16-7 on Sunday.
The Bearcats upped their record to 15-7 on the season, including 10-5 in the NWC. Willamette is second in the NWC standings, trailing Pacific University, 12-4, and in front of Lewis & Clark in third at 9-5.
While Fischel led Willamette's 10-hit attack on Monday, starting pitcher Steven Verespey (Fy., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) limited the Pirates to one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings on the mound. He struck out five batters and did not allow a walk. Relief pitchers JD Willis (Jr., LHP, Chandler, AZ/Perry HS), Boone Rush (Jr., LHP, Portland, OR/Grant HS/Linn-Benton CC), Conor Wolf (Fy., LHP, Broomfield, CO/Alexander Dawson HS), and Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) held Whitworth to no runs and just one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings.
"We pitched well and played very good defense," Willamette Head Coach Aaron Swick said. "Offensively, we got contributions from a lot of different guys. It was a total team effort."
During the series with Whitworth, the Bearcats did not commit an error in the first game or the third game and had just two errors overall. Meanwhile, in the final two games Willamette scored a total of 27 runs on 27 hits.
The final game started slowly and was scoreless after 2 1/2 innings. In the bottom of the third, Ethan Dunnam (Sr., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) and Drew Baskin (So., 2B, Eagle, ID/Arroyo Grande HS) singled with one out and Carl Lawson (Jr., RF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) walked. With the bases loaded, Fischel provided a sacrifice fly.
In the fourth inning, Willamette increased its lead to 4-0. Jonny Suchor (Sr., OF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Dunnam drove in Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) with an RBI groundout, and Lawson brought in Rocco Granucci (So., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) with an RBI single.
The margin reached 6-0 one inning later, when Suchor supplied an RBI single and Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) hit a sacrifice fly. Whitworth tallied its only run in the top of the sixth when three singles led to Elijah Tanner scoring on a base hit by Henry Zaske.
Fischel connected for the big hit as Willamette increased its lead to 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Baskin was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Lawson singled to center, and then both runners advanced one base on a wild pickoff attempt at second. Fischel followed with a three-run homer over the left center field fence near the scoreboard.
The final two runs of the game were scored by the Bearcats in the eighth inning. Pinch-runner Jackson Garrett (Jr., UT, Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad HS/Palomar College) was at first base when Fischel blasted a double down the left field line. Garrett and Fischel scored on a single by Nick Arnett (Fy., INF, Placerville, CA/Ponderosa HS).
In addition to Fischel's 2-for-4 performance, Lawson finished 2 of 3 with a run and an RBI. Jeff Hoffman (Jr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) hit a double and Suchor scored two runs. For Whitworth, Tanner was 3 of 4 and Riley Cissne went 2 for 2.
Willamette is set to play an NWC series at Whitman College this weekend. On Saturday, April 1, the Bearcats and the Blues will open the weekend with a doubleheader in Walla Walla, Washington, starting at 12 p.m. (PDT). The teams will play one game on Sunday, April 2 at 12 p.m.
