By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Brady Joyner (Fy., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, and Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) hit a 2-run homer and a double, as Willamette University held off Pacific University, 3-2, to force a second game on Saturday, May 15 at the 2021 Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament. Willamette and Pacific will play again this afternoon at Chuck Bafaro Stadium to determine who wins the NWC Tournament. The winner will receive the NWC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament.
Joyner and JD Willis (Fy., LHP, Chandler, AZ/Perry HS) combined to pitch a six-hitter for the Bearcats. Willis allowed four hits and one run over the first 3 1/3 innings while recording one strikeout and three walks. Joyner, now 6-1, tossed the remainder of the game. He allowed two hits and one run, as he achieved five strikeouts and walked two batters.
Hoffman's homer in the second inning and double in the sixth provided two of WU's eight hits. He was 2 of 4 with a run and two RBIs. Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) went 2 of 3 with two runs scored and a walk. Tyler Quinn topped Pacific by going 3 of 4 with a double, a solo home run in the ninth inning, and two runs scored.
Vandemark singled to center field with one out in the top of the second inning. Hoffman batted next and smacked the ball over the left field fence to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead. Sean Little (Sr., 2B, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) and Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) walked with two outs, but the runners were left on base when Pacific starter Kahi Bisho forced Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) to fly out to right field.
The Boxers answered with one run in the bottom of the second to pull within 2-1. Quinn opened the stanza with a double to right. He moved to third on a groundout by Tanner Johnson. Quinn scored when Brad Almomare hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Neither team scored during the next three innings, although both teams left a pair of runners on the base paths in the fourth.
For Willamette, Vandemark walked, Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) singled, and Little walked, which loaded the bases with one out. Werkmeister-Martin hit into a 5-2-3 double play. For Pacific, Quinn hit a leadoff single to left and Johnson followed with a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt by Davis Koester advanced the runners to second and third. Joyner went to the mound and struck out Altomare, before getting Chase Anderson to fly out to center.
The Bearcats tacked on an insurance run the top of the sixth for a 3-1 margin. Wagner started the frame with a single, but was thrown out at second while Vandemark reached base on a fielder's choice toward the mound. Hoffman doubled to right field to move Vandemark to third. With two outs, Little produced a bunt single to drive Vandemark across the plate.
Joyner did not allow a runner in the sixth or seventh innings. He hit Isaac Lovings with two outs in the eight, but Jordan Hara lined out to end the inning. In the ninth, Quinn belted a leadoff homer. One out later, Koester walked. With two outs, Anderson walked to place runners at first and second. Koester and Anderson advanced one base on a balk, but were left at second and third when Joyner caused Ryan Krout to ground out to Ethan Fischel (Jr., Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) at shortstop.
