By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Willamette University baseball team opened Northwest Conference play at Lewis & Clark on Saturday, March 2. The Bearcat improved to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in the NWC with a 6-3 win in game one and a 6-5 decision in the nightcap.
Bearcats Open Northwest Conference Schedule With 6-3 Win
The Bearcats took the lead on a solo home run from Clint Walker (Gr., OF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) in the top of the fourth inning. Walker tallied his first homer of the season, sending a shot over the center field fence. The Pioneers capitalized on a trio of Bearcat errors and a sacrifice fly to pull in front, 2-1, in the fifth.
Willamette answered with three straight hits to start the sixth. Layton Wagner (Gr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) doubled to lead off the inning and would come in to tie the game on a single from Luke Piazza (Jr., 1B/LF, Simi Valley, CA/Royal HS).
Walker reached on a single and would later put the Bearcats back on top, scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Carter Stoltz (Fy., C, Davis, CA/Davis HS). They added a run in the top of the seventh to make the score 4-2. With two outs, Carl Lawson (Sr., OF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS) was hit by a pitch and came around to cross the plate when Wagner doubled to the gap in left center.
The Pioneers recorded two quick outs in the seventh before Stoltz was hit by a pitch and Tassos Foster (Sr., INF, Novato, CA/Novato HS) drew a walk after running the count full. Drew Baskin (Jr., INF, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo HS) faced a full count in the next at bat, giving the runners an early jump on the pitch. Baskin drove a double off the wall in right field to bring in both Stoltz and Foster to stretch the lead to 6-2.
Lewis & Clark took advantage of another Bearcat miscue in the bottom of the eighth inning. With runners on first and second, Luke Bass hit a long single off the wall in right field to bring in the run. A strong relay from Rocco Granucci (Jr., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) caught the runner advancing to third for the second out of the inning. The Pioneers left two runners stranded to end the eighth.
The Pioneers looked to rally in the ninth with a double but closer Brady Joyner (Sr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) recorded a pair of strikeouts in the inning to record the save. Wagner got the win, adding six strikeouts while allowing seven hits in an eight-inning effort.
Baskin went 3-for-5 in the opener, driving in two runs. Walker finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI on his home run. Piazza and Wagner each recorded a pair of hits and an RBI.
Baskin Homers and Triples in Game Two Win
Baskin gave Willamette an early lead in game two with a solo homerun in the top of the first inning. The Pioneers put three runs on the board in the second inning. They continued to take advantage of opportunities as a Willamette error put runners in scoring position to set up an RBI on a ground out by Michael Aikawa. Lewis & Clark took the lead on a double steal and stretched the margin to 3-1 on a single from Jack Savant.
In the top of the third, back-to-back singles from Foster and Baskin set up an RBI double for Granucci to cut the deficit to 3-2. Willamette tied the game as Baskin came in on a ground out.
The Bearcats jumped on pitches early in the fifth. Stoltz started things off with a home run, followed by a double from Foster and an RBI triple by Baskin. Granucci kept the rally going with a double off the center field wall to bring in Baskin for a 6-3 lead.
The Pioneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull within a run, 6-5. Rookie Bret Potter drove in two with a double down the right field line. JD Willis (Sr., LHP, Chandler, AZ/Perry HS) recorded two strikeouts to stall the rally. Joyner came on to close in the ninth, earning his third save of the season with three strikeouts.
Steven Verespey (So., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) earned the win with six strikeouts while scattering three hits in five innings in the start. Dylan Turner (So., RHP, Dallas, TX/Wilson HS) came on in relief to add four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.
Baskin had a hot bat again, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Granucci went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Foster added two hits and two runs for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats return to Lewis & Clark for the final game of the three-game series on Sunday. They will take the field against Pioneers at 12 p.m. PST.
