By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Willamette University rallied from behind three times in the first game and never trailed in the second game, as the Bearcats defeated Whitworth University, 12-9 and 11-3, in a doubleheader on Sunday, April 11 at Merkel Field. The Bearcats swept the four-game Northwest Conference series and increased their record to 19-9 overall, 13-7 in the NWC. Whitworth fell to 6-17 overall, 5-11 in the NWC.
Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) of Willamette hit a home run for the third consecutive game in the opener. The first game also featured two home runs by Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) and one homer by Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS). Daly and Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) each belted a homer for Willamette in the second game.
In the first game, relief pitcher Matt Pisacane (Jr., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS) threw the seventh and eighth innings to earn the win. Brady Joyner (Fy., RHP/OF, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) pitched the ninth stanza to grab his third save.
Pitcher Eric Waldichuk (Jr., INF/RHP, San Diego, CA/University City HS) tossed the first six innings of the second game for Willamette and registered a career-high 11 strikeouts. He allowed just seven hits and three runs, while giving up two walks. Mason Cook (Grad., RHP, Riverton, UT/Riverton HS) threw a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout and one hit by the Pirates.
"Lots of back-and-forth in today's first game," Willamette Head Coach Aaron Swick said. "Sam Daly and Joey Faudskar had hug swings in the seventh inning and Brady Joyner closed it out. Waldichuk had another great outing and the offense was rolling. It was great to sweep on the road."
Whitworth took the initial lead in the opener with a run in the bottom of the first. Aidan Morrison, who doubled to start the inning, eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Bruno. Willamette plated two runs in the second inning on Faudskar's first home run for a 2-1 advantage. In the top of the third, Willamette recorded five hits, but scored only one time, as two runners were caught stealing. Back-to-back singles by Nelsen and Daly created the run.
The Bearcats extended the lead to 4-1 when Hoffman began the fourth inning with a home run to left center. The Pirates pulled within 4-2 on a homer by Jaxsen Sweum in the bottom of the fourth and surged into a 7-4 lead with five runs in the fifth. A 2-run double by Dawson Warner and run-scoring doubles by Sweum and Brenden Duncan -- produced four of the five runs.
Willamette battled back with four runs in the seventh for an 8-7 lead. Werkmeister-Martin scored the first run on a bases-loaded walk by Fischel. Nelsen reached home with the second run on a wild pitch. Fischel and Daly scored on a single by Hoffman.
Solo homers by Gage Gibson and David Bedell in the eighth inning moved the Pirates in front, 9-8. The Bearcats responded with four runs in the ninth. Daly started the rally with a game-tying home run to right field. Fischel walked and Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) singled. One out later, Faudskar smacked a 3-run homer to right center. Joyner faced just three batters in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win.
Hoffman was 3 for 5 in the first game with a homer, a run, and three RBIs. Five Bearcats each registered two hits, with Fischel scoring three runs and Faudskar providing five RBIs. Warner was 3 of 5 with a double, a run, and two RBIs for the Pirates, while Bedell was 3 of 4 with a homer, two runs, and an RBI.
Willamette scored two runs in the first inning of the second game. Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) was hit by a pitch as the leadoff batter. Werkmeister-Martin doubled, before Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Little scored on a passed ball. Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) drove in Werkmeister-Martin with a groundout to third.
Werkmeister-Martin tacked on a 3-run homer in the second inning to give the Bearcats a 5-0 lead. Joe Howell hit a 2-run single for Whitworth in the bottom of the second before Willamette pulled away with a run in the third inning, four runs in the fourth, and one run in the fifth for an 11-2 advantage. Daly homered for the Bearcats in the third and added a 2-run double in the fourth. Recording RBI singles in the fourth inning were Werkmeister-Martin and Fischel. Ethan Dunnam (So., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) drove in the run in the fifth inning on a groundout.
One of the top offensive performers for Willamette in the second game was Werkmeister-Martin, who went 3 of 4 with a homer, a double, three runs, and four RBIs. Daly was 2 of 4 with a double, a homer, one run, and three RBIs. For Whitworth, Howell was 2 for 2 with two runs scored.
The Bearcats will take on Whitman College in a Northwest Conference series at John Lewis Field on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18. A doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. (PDT) each day.
