Salem, Ore. - Jackson Garrett combined with three relievers to shut out Pacific through eight innings and Drew Baskin and Rocco Granucci each scored twice as Willamette won the final game of the series against Pacific University 5-3 to complete the sweep of the weekend series. Garrett gave up three hits and walked one batter in just over five innings of work, keeping the Boxers off the board with some timely strikeouts.
Unlike the first two games of the series, the Bearcats failed to get on the scoreboard in the opening inning, but they did break through in the second when an overthrow by the Pacific third baseman allowed Baskin to score from third and gave Willamette a 1-0 lead. The Bearcats extended their lead in the next inning when they loaded the bases on a single by Nate Hamburger and Tassos Foster and Granucci getting hit by pitches. After the next two batters hit infield groundballs that allowed the Boxers to make the force play at home, Charlie Ferbet gave Willamette a 3-0 lead with a single to right field that scored Granucci and Luke Piazza. Preston Lau immediately singled to left to score Baskin and push the lead to 4-0.
The Boxers threatened to score in the top of the fifth when they put two runners on with just one out, but Garrett got Matt Gibbs to line out to first on an acrobatic grab by Piazza. Then, he struck out Benjamin Lewis to end the inning. Pacific had put two runners on with less than two outs for the third consecutive inning, and Garrett found a way out of the jam each time.
Willamette extended its lead in the bottom of the seventh with another two-out hit, this time by Baskin, who singled to right and scored Granucci from second base to give the Bearcats a 5-0 lead.
Pacific continued to threaten and loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the 8th inning before Roman Mahler was able to strike out the Boxer shortstop Max Finkelstein. It was the third time a Willamette pitcher was able to get a strikeout to end the inning with runners in scoring position. Pacific did finally break through in the top of the 9th when Lewis homered to left off reliever Matthew Mason. After another run scored on a triple, Mason was able to get the second out on a groundball to third and then yet another Pacific batter struck out with a runner in scoring position to end the game.
The Bearcats have a two-week break from conference play and will return to action next weekend when they travel to Southern California to take on Pomona-Pitzer (Mar 7th), La Verne (Mar 8th), and Chapman (Mar 9th).
