By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Starting pitcher Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and relief pitcher Logan Haslam (Jr., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) combined to strike out 10 batters as the Bearcats defeated Lewis & Clark College 9-6 on Friday, April 7 at John Lewis Field.
Willamette pounded out 12 hits, including three hits each by Rocco Granucci (So., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) and Ethan Fischel (Grad., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS), plus one home run from Carl Lawson (Jr., RF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) and another home run from Jonny Suchor (Sr., OF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS).
The Bearcats improved to 19-7 on the season, 14-5 in the Northwest Conference. Lewis & Clark dropped to 20-11 overall, 9-9 in the NWC. The Bearcats and the Pioneers will complete the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 8. The first game of the twinbill is scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. (PDT).
L&C scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Jack Savant singled to start the game and Jack Thomson belted a two-run homer to left field. With one out, Luke Bass homered to center field. Willamette countered with two runs in the second half of the inning, as Granucci earned a leadoff single and Lawson smacked a two-run homer down the right field line.
Jakob Ghammachi singled to open the second inning for the Pioneers. He moved to second on a one-out single by Brandon Gonzaga, went to third on a flyout by Savant, and scored on a wild pitch to give Lewis & Clark a 4-2 lead.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Suchor connected on a solo homer for the Bearcats to pull WU within 4-3. Back-to-back doubles for Wagner and Ethan Dunnam (Sr., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) in the fifth stanza tied the score. After Granucci singled to move Dunnam to third base, Lawson hit into a fielder's choice. Dunnam scored on the play to give Willamette a 5-4 lead, while Granucci was thrown out at second.
Haslam replaced Wagner with one out and a runner at first base in the top of the seventh. A walk, a throwing error on a pickoff play at second, and another walk loaded the bases. Haslam got out of the inning by striking out Bass and Will Heron.
WU created an insurance run for a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Wagner walked and Dunnam hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Wagner to second. Granucci sent an RBI single into right field.
The Bearcats plated three runs in the eighth inning to increase the margin to 9-4.
Fischel hit a leadoff single up the middle. Jeff Hoffman (Jr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) reached first on a fielding error at third base. Suchor added a bunt single near the third base line to load the bases. All three runners eventually crossed the plate. Fischel and Hoffman scored when Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) and Drew Baskin (So., 2B, Eagle, ID/Arroyo Grande HS) were hit by pitches, and Suchor scored on a sacrifice fly by Dunnam.
Savant singled with one out in the top of the ninth for L&C. Thomson followed with his NWC-leading 17th home run of the season to pull the Pioneers within 9-6. Haslam forced a flyout and a groundout to end the game. It was Haslam's first save of the season, while Wagner upped his record to 4-2. L&C starter Kris Wuelfing fell to 4-1 after allowing six runs in 6 1/3 innings.
