By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Brandon Nelson (Fr., RHP, Murrieta, CA/Vista Murrieta HS) struck out seven batters and allowed no walks in eight innings on the mound, and first baseman Eric Del Prado (So., 1B, El Segundo, CA/Loyola HS) went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs, leading Willamette University to a 10-3 victory over Lewis & Clark College in the first game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 19 at the Huston Sports Complex.
Willamette improved to 10-12 on the season, 5-8 in the NWC. Lewis & Clark dropped to 8-13 overall, 3-7 in the NWC.
The Bearcats built a 3-0 advantage in the first inning and maintained the lead the rest of the way. L&C pulled within 4-3 by scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth, but Willamette increased its lead with five runs in the sixth.
Troy Conway (So., 2B, Moorpark, CA/Moorpark HS) opened the game with a walk. He went to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Connor Bailey (Fr., LF, San Deigo, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) and reached third on a wild pitch. Del Prado walked, and then Mason Fessler (So., 3B, Woodburn, OR/Blanchet Catholic HS) belted a double near the left field line to drive in Conway.
Del Prado, who went to third on Fessler's double, crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Perry Van Eckhardt (So., CF, El Cerrito, CA/El Cerrito HS). Fessler scored when Ty Wyatt (Jr./So., DH, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) reached base on an error by the shortstop.
Willamette added a run in the third inning. Bailey walked to start the stanza, and stole second base. With two outs, Van Eckhardt walked. Wyatt batted next and singled through the left side to score Bailey from second.
Nelson struck out two Pioneers in the second and one in the third, while allowing only a double to Cooper Larson in the first three innings. Lewis & Clark recovered to send six batters to the plate in the fourth inning.
Ben Beck hit a leadoff single. Conner Sick flied out to right field, and Sean Shepherd hit a fly ball that Van Eckhardt caught at the fence while running toward left center. Larson connected for a single to right center to bring home Beck. Akira Abderrahman blasted a two-run homer to right field to reduce WU's lead to 4-3.
The Bearcats took charge of the game in the top of the sixth inning with five runs on three hits, two walks and an error.
Wyatt reached base on a fielding error by Bradley Lezak at second base. Gordie Clary (Sr., RF/RHP, Vacaville, CA/Vacaville HS) walked. Tyler Janitz (Fr., SS, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) sacrificed the runners to second and third. Cole Pursell (Fr., C, Oceanside, CA/El Camino HS) drove in Wyatt and Clary with a single to right field.
With two outs, Bailey walked, advancing Pursell to second base. Del Prado smacked a three-run homer to right field, giving Willamette a 9-3 lead. It was Del Prado's third home run of the season.
In the top of the seventh, Janitz and Pursell reached base on back-to-back errors at third base. The ball went into the outfield on the second error, allowing Janitz to score from first base.
Nelson struck out two of three batters in the bottom of the inning, and pitched to just three batters in the eighth. Nathan Gilman (Fr., RHP, Chino Hills, CA/Diamond Ranch) faced four batters to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth. Nelson allowed just five hits while improving to 2-4.
Del Prado's 2-for-4 effort led the offense. He scored two runs to go with his three RBIs. Fessler went 2 for 5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. For L&C, Larson was 2 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Willamette outhit the Pioneers, 7-6.
