By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) and Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) blasted home runs in the first game, and Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) and Michael Nelsen (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) smacked homers in the second game, as Willamette University split a Northwest Conference doubleheader with Lewis & Clark College on Sunday, April 4. The Pioneers built a 9-5 lead after 7 1/2 innings of the opener, before holding on for a 9-8 win. WU led 10-1 after six innings in the second game, and prevailed 10-5 after L&C tallied four runs in the seventh.
Willamette was 3-1 during the series at John Lewis Field, which began with the Bearcats sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday. WU moved to 15-9 on the season, 9-7 in the NWC. Lewis & Clark ended the series at 6-10, all against NWC opponents.
"It was great to get a series win," said Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick. "Several players had great weekends at the plate. Erick Waldichuk (winning pitcher in Sunday's second game) had another great outing."
Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) of WU finished the day 5 of 8 on offense with a double, four runs, and three RBIs. Daly went 4 of 7 overall, as he provided the Bearcats with a double, two runs, and two RBIs in addition to his home run.
The Bearcats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning in the opener. With one out, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) singled through the left side. He reached second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Nelsen. Later in the inning, Nelsen crossed the plate on a bases-loaded walk by Fischel. A double play ended the inning.
Lewis & Clark surged in front 5-2 with four runs in the third inning. Back-to-back doubles by Dylan Moore and Jack Thomson put runners at second and third. Moore reached home on a single by Sammy Benbow. Thomson also scored when the ball was misplayed in left field. Zack Kon belted a 2-run homer to right center to complete the outburst.
Daly's home run in the bottom of the third cut the margin to 5-3. The Bearcats pulled within 5-4 three innings later when Daly tripled and later scored on a groundout by Fischel.
The Pioneers benefited from a 3-run homer by Luke Bass in the seventh inning, as the visitors took an 8-4 advantage. Little provided WU with an RBI single in the seventh, and each team scored once in the eighth. Moore drove in L&C's eighth-inning run with a single to left center, while Fischel scored for the Bearcats on a solo homer.
WU trailed 9-6 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Hoffman singled to right center to start the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. He moved to third on a flyout and reached home on a single by Little. With two outs and Little at second, Nelsen singled to left field to bring Little across the plate. Clint Walker So./Fy., OF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) pinch-ran for Nelsen, but a line drive by Daly was caught in right field to end the game.
Bass was 3 of 5 for L&C with a homer, one run, and three RBIs. Four Pioneers contributed two hits apiece, as Lewis & Clark finished with 12 hits. Willamette earned 13 hits, led by Daly, who was 3 of 4 with a homer, two runs, and an RBI. Little, Nelsen, and Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) each connected for two hits. Little and Nelsen drove in two runs. L&C starter Brett Pierson tossed six innings and improved to 2-2. WU starter Ben Whitten (Grad., RHP, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) went six innings and fell to 1-3.
The Bearcats outhit L&C 13-8 in the second game and took advantage of four errors by the Pioneers. Willamette gained an early advantage with two runs in the first inning. The first run was scored by Little on a sacrifice fly by Daly, and the other run was scored by Werkmeister-Martin on a double by Fischel. L&C opened the fourth inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Benbow reached home on a wild pitch, and then Sam Helms walked, but the Pioneers left the bases loaded.
Willamette took control in the bottom of the fourth with four runs for a 6-1 lead. The inning began with a solo homer by Hoffman and included an RBI sacrifice bunt by Dunnam, an RBI double by Little, and an RBI single by Werkmeister-Martin. WU added a run in the fifth when Fischel reached base on an error and later scored on a single by Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS). The lead reached 10-1 when Nelsen pounded out a 3-run homer in the sixth. It was Nelsen's NWC-leading 11th homer of the year.
Little was 3 of 4 in the second game with a double, three runs, and an RBI. Nelsen led the Bearcats with three RBIs, while Werkmeister-Martin, Fischel, and Hoffman each recorded two hits. Pitcher Eric Waldichuk (Jr., RHP/INF, San Diego, CA/University City HS) of Willamette went six innings and picked up the win after striking out five batters and allowing just one run and five hits. He improved to 2-2 on the season. L&C's starter, Jordan Gonzalez, dropped to 1-2 with the loss.
The Bearcats are set to take on Whitworth University in four NWC games next weekend in Spokane, Washington. The teams will play two games on Saturday, April 10, followed by two games on Sunday, April 11. Each doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m. (PDT).
