By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Layton Wagner (So., INF/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Justin Miller (Sr./Jr., RHP, Poway, CA/Poway HS/Palomar CC) each started a game on the mound and earned a victory for the Willamette University baseball team on Friday, April 23, as the Bearcats defeated Linfield University in Northwest Conference action, 6-1 and 7-2 at Roy Helser Field. Willamette advanced its record to 25-9 on the season, including 19-7 in the NWC. Linfield fell to 6-22 overall, 4-16 in the NWC.
The Bearcats and the Wildcats will complete the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 24. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. (PDT).
Wagner pitched the first seven innings of the 9-inning opener. He struck out seven batters and did not allow a walk. He gave up one run on seven hits -- six singles and one double. He improved to 7-1 on the season. JD Willis (Fy., Chandler, AZ/Perry HS) struck out two batters and did not allow a run during the final two innings.
Miller tossed six innings in the 7-inning second game, while limiting the Wildcats to two runs. He registered four strikeouts, allowed four hits, and walked four batters. Matt Pisacane (Jr., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS) walked one batter, but did not allow a hit while pitching the last inning.
The Bearcats hit one home run in each game. Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) blasted his 10th homer of the season in the first game, and Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) smacked his 10th home run of the year in the second game. Willamette has hit 57 home runs on the season.
"We pitched well and played great defense today," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "We also had timely hitting with runners in scoring position."
Each team scored one run in the second inning of the opener. For Willamette, Fischel was hit by a pitch to start the stanza. He stole second base with one out and then scored when Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) sent a single into center field. In the bottom of the inning, Levi Horner-Villa of Linfield belted a leadoff double down the right field line. He went to third on a single by Wyatt Smith and crossed the plate on a single by Tanner Earhart.
WU tacked on two runs in the fourth inning on Hoffman's homer to left field for a 3-1 lead. Fischel, who walked with two outs, also scored on the play. The Bearcats scored one run in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings to extend the margin to 6-1. Wagner provided a sacrifice fly to score Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) in the fifth. Fischel added a sacrifice fly to drive in Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) in the sixth. Fischel was hit by a pitch with the bases-loaded to bring in the final run in the eighth.
Linfield threatened to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Horner-Villa walked and Smith singled to start the inning. Earhart provided a single to right field to fill the bases. Willis escaped the inning without giving up a run, as he struck out Cameron Skinner and Daniel Kahn before forcing Kai Herko to ground out.
The Wildcats outhit Willamette, 10-6, in the opener, but the Bearcats forced Linfield to leave eight runners on base. Willamette stranded just two runners on base. Neither team committed an error.
Werkmeister-Martin was 2 of 4 at the plate with a run scored. Fischel was 0 for 0, but walked once and was hit by two pitches. He scored twice and registered two RBIs. Smith finished 3 of 4 for Linfield, while Horner-Villa was 2 for 3 with a double and a run.
Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) belted a leadoff double for Willamette to open the second game. Little scored two outs later when Fischel sent a full-count pitch over the center field fence for a 2-run homer.
Linfeld responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Reid Sturn walked to start the frame, and went to second on a groundout. Mike LaVigne hit an infield single near the mound to put runners at first and third. Horner-Villa followed with a 2-run double to left. Smith walked, but back-to-back outs on fielder's choices ended the inning. The game was tied at 2-2, but Linfield didn't score over the remainder of the game.
Willamette gradually pulled way by adding one run in five of the next six innings. A groundout by Faudskar brought in the go-ahead run in the second stanza, and Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) supplied an RBI single in the third. Faudskar added another RBI on a single in the fourth. The Bearcats did not score in the fifth inning, but Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) provided a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Nelsen walked with the bases loaded in the ninth.
Little was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Nelsen went 2 of 3 with two runs and an RBI, while Faudskar was 2 of 3 with two RBIs. Hoffman contributed a 2-or-3 effort with two doubles and one run. For Linfield, LaVigne went 2 for 3 at the plate with a double and a run. Horner-Villa hit a double and drove in two runs. WU outhit the Wildcats, 11-4.
