By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Rocco Granucci (So., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS), Jonny Suchor (Sr., OF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS), and Joshua Murphy (Jr., C, Everett, WA/Cascade HS/Olympic College) each provided Willamette University with two hits in the first round of the 2023 Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday, April 21, but Lewis & Clark College broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning and went on to win, 10-4. WU fell to 20-12 on the season, while L&C improved to 27-11.
Willamette will take on Whitman College in the second round of the double-elimination tournament on Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m. (PDT). Whitman lost to host Pacific University, 13-1, in the first round on Friday. Pacific will battle Lewis & Clark at 1 p.m. The winner of the Willamette-Whitman game and the loser of the Pacific-Lewis & Clark game will play each other at 4 p.m. Pacific is now 22-10 on the season, while Whitman is 22-15.
The two hits apiece by Grannucci, Suchor, and Murphy led the Bearcats. Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) provided a two-RBI single.
L&C led 4-0 after two innings, but Willamette plated three runs in the fourth and scored one run in the fifth to tie the score. The Pioneers edged in front with a run in the sixth and extended their lead with five runs in the seventh.
In the bottom of the first, Jack Savant hit a leadoff single to left center for Lewis & Clark. He reached third base when Jack Thomson belted a double to right field and scored on a single by Brennen Davis. After Davis was thrown out attempting to steal second, Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) struck out Luke Bass to end the inning.
The Pioneers added three runs in the second. Dylan Moore hit a leadoff double and later scored on a double-steal. Brandon Gonzaga drove in the second run with a single and Thomson hit into a fielder's choice to bring in the third run.
Wagner kept L&C off the scoreboard in the third, fourth, and fifth inning. Meanwhile, the Bearcats rallied to tie the game. With one out in the fourth, Carl Lawson (Jr., RF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) singled to center and went to second on a passed ball. Hoffman moved Lawson to third with a single to left, and Suchor followed with an RBI single to center.
Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) reached base on a fielder's choice, as Hoffman was thrown out at third. Drew Baskin (So., 2B, Eagle, ID/Arroyo Grande HS) walked to load the bases. Wagner smacked a two-run single into right field to drive in Suchor and Werkmeister-Martin, as WU pulled within 4-3.
The Bearcats tied the score in the fifth. Granucci started the inning with a double to right center and stole third base. One out later, Lawson hit a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Granucci to score.
A leadoff homer by Jakob Ghamachi in the sixth inning gave L&C a 5-4 lead. Grannuci singled for Willamette with two outs in the seventh, but a groundout ended the inning. The Pioneers scored five runs in the seventh on four hits, including a three-RBI double by Justin Cavagnaro, an RBI single from Savant, and an RBI double by Thomson.
Hoffman was hit by a pitch and Suchor singled with one out in WU's half of the eighth inning. Werkmeister-Martin also was hit by a pitch, but the Bearcats left the bases loaded. In the ninth, Murphy sent a leadoff single to right field. Granucci batted next and pounded the ball, but the third baseman, Thomson, was able to catch the line drive with his arm fully extended over his head. Ethan Fischel (Grad., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) singled before a double play ended the game.
Seven Bearcats registered at least one of Willamette's 10 hits. Granucci was 2 for 5 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Suchor was 2 of 4 with a run and an RBI. Murphy also went 2 of 4. In addition to a hit, a run scored, and an RBI, Lawson made an impressive catch in left center and another strong catch in right center.
Cavagnaro led L&C by going 3 of 4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs. The Pioneers earned 15 hits overall. Both teams played errorless ball on defense.
