By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Pacific University scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 10-5 lead on its way to a 15-6 win against Willamette University in the 2021 Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament championship game on Saturday, May 15 at Chuck Bafaro Stadium. The Boxers claimed the NWC Tournament title and received the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Pacific improved to 31-13. Willamette moved to 30-15. The 30 wins are third all-time for the Bearcats, trailing only the 31-win seasons in 1998 (31-12) and 2018 (31-19). Willamette has earned a .313 team batting average this year. The Bearcats have set school records with 343 runs, 315 RBIs, and 68 homers, while tying a school record with 97 doubles.

"I am very proud of our team," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "The guys played well all season and left it all on the field. The senior class left an incredible legacy in our program, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors."

Earlier on Saturday, the Bearcats defeated the Boxers, 3-2, to give Pacific its first loss of the tournament. Both teams used six pitchers during Saturday's second game. It was Willamette's fifth game -- and Pacific's fourth game -- in three days. Willamette outhit Pacific in the championship game, 14-12, but the Bearcats finished with a total of 13 runners left on base, while the Boxers stranded eight runners.

Joey Faudskar (Grad., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) was 3 of 4 with a walk for the Bearcats. Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) was 2 of 4, while Sean Little (Sr., 2B, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS), Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) and Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) each went 2 for 5 at the plate. Little, Werkmeister-Martin, Nelsen, and Layton Wagner (So., INF/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) belted doubles. Daly and Fischel each recorded two RBIs, while Little scored two runs.

For the Boxers, Tanner Johnson was 3 of 5 with a double, a triple, two runs, and four RBIs. Tyler Quinn of Pacific hit the game's only home run while going 2 of 3 with a double, two walks, two runs, and four RBIs. Chase Anderson was 2 of 5 with a walk and two runs. Isaac Lovings went 1 for 3 with a triple, a walk, two runs, and two RBIs.

Willamette took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the championship game. Little sent a leadoff single to left field. Werkmeister-Martin also singled, and Daly walked to load the bases.  Fischel hit into a fielder's choice to shallow right center, as Little crossed the plate and Daly was thrown out at second. The right fielder was unable to make a diving catch on the play, but threw to second just in time to record the out.

Nelsen followed with a fielder's choice toward the shortstop that resulted in Werkmeister-Martin being thrown out at home plate. Wagner doubled to right field to drive in Fischel with the second run.

The Boxers grabbed a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the first. Pacific opened the frame with two singles and a walk. A foul out to third base kept the bases loaded. Jordan Hara provided a double to right field that drove in Anderson. Ryan Krout, who began the play at second was put out trying to score on a throw from Daly in right field to Nelsen at the plate. After Quinn walked, Johnson blasted a 3-run triple to right field. Brandon Silowka added an RBI single.

WU responded with three runs during its next at bat to tie the score. Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) walked to begin the second inning. One out later, Little also walked. With two outs, Daly pounded a double to left field that brought home Hoffman and Little. Fischel tacked on a single to right field, allowing Daly to cross the plate.

Pacific five-run outburst in the bottom of the second included four hits. The key hits were a 2-run triple by Lovings and a 3-run homer by Quinn.

Johnson picked up his fourth RBI of the game for the Boxers with a double in the fourth inning. Nelsen hit a leadoff double for Willamette in the fifth inning and later scored on a one-out single by Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) to pull the Bearcats within 11-6. Vandemark advanced to second on a groundout by Hoffman and reached third when Faudskar hit an infield single. Faudskar went to second on a wild pitch, but the half-inning ended with runners at second and third.

The Boxers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, as Brad Altomare reached base on an error and later scored on a second error. Pacific added three runs in the sixth inning. Quinn began the stanza with a double and later scored.