By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University and Pacific Lutheran University each won a game by a 4-3 margin on Sunday, March 21 at John Lewis Field, as the team's split their four-game Northwest Conference series. WU won the first game on Saturday, 16-2, on the run rule in seven innings. The second game was suspended on Saturday after 5 1/2 innings due to impending darkness.
Each of the final three games in the series also lasted seven innings. PLU earned a 15-10 victory in the suspended game, which continued prior to Sunday's scheduled doubleheader. Willamette ended the series with a 10-6 overall mark, including 4-4 in the NWC. The Lutes finished the weekend at 8-7 for the season, 4-4 in the NWC.
Justin Miller (Sr./Jr., RHP, Poway, CA/Poway HS/Palomar CC) of Willamette pitched a complete-game in the Bearcats' 4-3 win. He allowed three runs -- all unearned -- and struck out four Lutes while walking just one batter. Miller went to 1-0 on the season.
"Our offense continues to hit on all cylinders," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "We are getting contributions from all nine guys. We made some big pitches and plays when we needed to. I like where our team is after four weekends. There are a lot of good things to build on."
The suspended game was stopped at around 7 p.m. on Saturday with PLU holding a 15-10 lead. On Sunday, the final 1 1/2 innings took about 20 minutes, as both teams were unable to score.
Pacific Lutheran began the contest by scoring three runs in the first inning, including a 2-run homer by Jordan Haworth. The Lutes tacked on a run in the top of the third.
The Bearcats cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the third. Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) singled and Ethan Dunnam (So., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) walked. Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) reached base on a dropped fly ball in right, which allowed Little to score and Dunnam to advance to third. After Vandemark stole second, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., UT, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) drove in Dunnam on a groundout. Later, Layton Wagner (So., INF/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) drove in Vandemark with a double to right center.
PLU surged out to a 9-3 lead with five runs in the fourth. The final three runs of the stanza scored on a 3-run homer by Haworth.
Willamette trailed 10-4 after 4 1/2 innings, but scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth. WU's five hits included a 3-run homer by Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) and RBI doubles by Vandemark and Werkmeister-Martin. The Lutes tallied five runs for a 15-10 lead in the top of the sixth, which featured a 2-run homer by Sean Kauffman and a 2-RBI triple from Austin Gormley.
In Sunday's first scheduled game, the Bearcats grabbed a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning and increased their lead to 3-0 in the third. In the second, Wagner hit a single with one out, and Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) contributed an RBI double with two outs. Jeff Hoffman (Fy., INF, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) added an RBI single down the left field line. Werkmeister-Martin smacked his fifth home run of the season in the third.
The Lutes tied the game with three unearned runs in the fifth. With one out, Ashton Barton singled. He went to third when Armond Swanson hit into an error at third base. Swanson reached second on the play. Alex Boyd walked to load the bases. Barton scored on a groundout by Kauffman. Tori Doten followed with a 2-run single near the left field line.
WU regained the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) singled to open the stanza. He stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Vandemark. After an infield pop-up, Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) brought home Faudskar with a single.
Werkmeister-Martin's home run stood out in the win. Also, Daly went 2 of 3 with a double and an RBI, while Wagner was 2 of 3 with a double and a run scored.
The final game of the series was scoreless for the first 3 12 innings. The Bearcats broke the scoreless battle in the bottom of the fourth. Wagner walked to open the stanza. He stole second base, went to third on a single up the middle by Fischel. After Fischel stole second, a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, with Wagner crossing the plate for a 1-0 lead. A strikeout ended the threat.
PLU tallied four runs on five hits and an error in the fifth to move in front, 4-1. With the bases loaded and two outs. Haworth sent a 2-run single to right field. The ball was misplayed, allowing a third run to reach the plate. Cole Trotignon added an RBI double to drive home Haworth.
Willamette scored twice in its half of the fifth to pull with 4-3. Werkmeister-Martin, who walked with one out, eventually scored on a wild pitch. Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) scored the second run on a single by Wagner. Two innings later, the Bearcats hit the ball hard, but were unable to create the tying run. Vandemark hit a long foul ball near the right field line before grounding out. Werkmeister-Martin blasted a shot to right center that was caught at the warning track. Daly hit a single with two outs, but he was thrown out at second when Nelsen hit into a fielder's choice.
Haworth went 2 of 3 with a run and two RBIs for PLU. Gromley was 2 of 4 with a run scored. Werkmeister-Martin, Daly, and Wagner each had two hits for WU. Noah Ferguson tossed the final 3 2/3 innings for the Lutes to earn the win. Starter Eric Waldichuk (Jr., INF/RHP, San Diego, CA/University City HS) suffered the loss for Willamette after pitching 4 2/3 innings.
The Bearcats will take on the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. Each day's schedule will feature a 9-inning game at 12 p.m. (PDT), followed by a 7-inning game at 3 p.m.
