By Charlie McGuire, Athletics Communications Assistant
SALEM, Ore. – The Willamette University baseball team improved to 13-2 overall and 6-2 in the Northwest Conference, taking the first two games of the series with the visiting University of Puget Sound on Saturday, March 16. Game one saw some outstanding pitching from both teams with the Bearcats taking the opener, 2-1. Some explosive bats led to a 14-10 Willamette win in the nightcap.
Strong Pitching, Hoffman Home Run Leads Bearcats to 2-1 Win
Senior Jeff Hoffman (Sr., INF, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) sent a two-run homer over the wall in right center to lead the Bearcats to a 2-1 victory in game one of the three-game series. Rocco Granucci (Jr., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) singled to lead-off the bottom of the sixth inning and Hoffman erased a 1-0 deficit in the very next at-bat.
The Loggers had just taken the lead in the top half of the inning on a solo home run by Davis Franklin. In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, Franklin started the game on the mound for Puget Sound, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and recording six strikeouts.
Layton Wagner (Gr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) earned the win for Willamette, booking 11 strikeouts and allowing just four hits and one walk in a seven-inning effort on the hill. Samuel Daly (Gr., RHP, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) came on in relief for one scoreless inning before Brady Joyner (Sr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) closed in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to record his fourth save of the season.
Tassos Foster (Sr., INF, Novato, CA/Novato HS) went 2-for-4 in game one. He accounted for two of the Bearcats' four hits in the opener. Carter Stoltz (Fy., C, Davis, CA/Davis HS) reached on three walks while Wyatt Thames (Jr., OF, Elk Grove, CA/Huntington Beach HS) added a walk and a stolen base.
Big Innings Carry Bearcats to 14-10 Win in Game Two
The nightcap saw a lot more offense with each team plating a run in the first inning. Puget Sound jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Drew Kamihara reached on an error, stole two bases, and scored on a ground out.
Willamette immediately answered in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back singles from Carl Lawson (Sr., OF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS) and Granucci set up an RBI for Hoffman to tie the game. The Loggers pulled back in front in the top of the second on a two-run homer off the bat of Kahiau Teruya.
Puget Sound stretched the lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning behind a pair of home runs from Preston Crockett and Franklin. The Bearcats again responded, scoring five runs in the fifth to tie the game again, 6-6. Drew Baskin (Jr., INF, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo Grande HS) started the rally with a two-RBI single to score Foster and Lawson, Cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Clint Walker (Gr., OF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) followed up with an RBI double as Granucci came around to score. Luke Piazza (Jr., 1B/LF, Simi Valley, CA/Royal HS) and Stoltz each added an RBI in the inning to pull the Bearcats even.
The Bearcat bats erupted for eight runs in the next two innings to put Willamette out in front 14-6. Foster led things off with a double in the sixth and came around on a single from Granucci. Hoffman added a single and Baskin reached on a fielder's choice that led to an error to score Granucci, making the score 8-6. Walker closed out the inning with a two-run shot for a 10-6 advantage.
Willamette started off the seventh inning with back-to-back singles from Adam Birt (So., INF, Fremont, CA/Washington HS) and Stoltz before the Loggers recorded a pair of outs. Ganucci drew a walk to load the bases and set the stage for a grand slam from Hoffman to extend the lead to 14-6.
Puget Sound tried to claw back, scoring two runs in the eighth and two in the ninth before the Bearcats shut the door to sweep the doubleheader with a 14-10 decision. The Loggers had the bases loaded with one out before Logan Haslam (Sr., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) recorded a strikeout and forced a ground out to third to end the rally.
Steven Verespey (So., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) went 6.1 innings in the start, scattering six hits while striking out four. Matthew Mason (So., LHP, Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union HS) went 1.1 innings in relief before Haslam came on to close.
Six players had multiple hits for the Bearcats. Hoffman went 2-for-5 with five RBIs and a run scored while Walker drove in three runs and scored twice behind a pair of hits. Granucci finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Foster and Lawson each had two hits and two runs scored and Baskin tallied two runs scored and two RBIs in the nightcap. Stoltz added a pair of hits as well.
The Bearcats improved to 14-2 on the season and 7-2 in the Northwest Conference. They close out the series on Sunday, hosting the Loggers at 12 p.m. PDT.
