By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications, (503) 370-6110
SALEM, Ore. -- Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) scored on a bunt single by Ethan Dunnam (So., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) with no outs in the 10th inning, as Willamette University edge past Lewis & Clark College, 9-8, in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 4 at John Lewis Field. Willamette also won the first game, 10-5, as starting pitcher Layton Wagner (So., INF/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) went eight innings and struck out seven batters. The opening game was nine innings, while the second game was scheduled for seven innings.
Willamette improved to 14-8 on the season and to 8-6 in the Northwest Conference. Lewis & Clark dropped to 5-9 overall, 5-9 in the NWC.
The Bearcats led the second game 7-4 before Lewis & Clark plated three runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game. Dylan Moore singled to right to start the frame. Jack Thomson was hit by a pitch to put runners and first and second. Sammy Benbow belted a three-run homer to right field. Zack Kon tripled down the line in left field, but he was stranded at third following a strikeout, a pop-up and a flyout. Willamette did not score in the bottom of the seventh and game moved to extra innings.
NWC rules this season place a runner on second base to begin each team's half of every extra-inning.
In the top of the eighth, David Schmidt ran for L&C. He went to third on a bunt single by Blake Tellinghusen and scored on a single by Justin Bailey. Tellingusen advanced to third on the play, but was stranded after two of the next three batters struck out. L&C led 8-7.
Willamette tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, when pinch-runner Clint Walker scored on a single through the left side by Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS). Vandemark's hit took a bad hop over the shortstop and into left field. Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) went from first to second, but was thrown out at third after Walker scored.
Neither team pushed a run across the plate in the ninth inning. In the 10th, WU pitcher Brady Joyner (Fy., RHP/OF, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) allowed one walk, but struck out three batters to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the 10th, Little began the inning as the runner at second base. He stole third base, which led the Pioneers to intentionally walk Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS). Martin stole second base. Dunnam bunted toward first base, forcing the first baseman to field the ball. Little beat the throw at the plate to give Willamette the win.
Joyner, who pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, upped his record to 3-0 with the win. He struck out six batters and had two walks. Moore fell to 0-1 with the loss for Lewis & Clark.
Werkmeister-Martin, Vandemark, and Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) each went 2 of 4 for Willamette during the game. Werkmeister-Martin, Daly, Fischel, and Jeff Hoffman (Fy., INF, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) each smacked a home run. For L&C, Kon went 3 for 5, while Thomson was 2 for 3, and Moore was 2 of 6. Moore and Benbow hit homers for the Pioneers.
The first game featured a strong pitching performance by Wagner. During his eight innings, he limited the Pioneers to three hits. L&C scored three runs, but only one run was earned.
Willamette grabbed a 2-0 lead by scoring one run in each of the first two innings. In the opening frame, Werkmeister-Martin was hit by a pitch with one out and eventually scored on a single by Daly. Hoffman doubled with two outs in the second inning and scored on a single by Little.
The Pioneers tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, as Luke Bass hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Tyler Gannon with the first run, and Moore later scored on a wild pitch. The Bearcats responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning for a 7-2 advantage. The final three runs were scored on a homer by Fischel over the left field fence. In the sixth inning, Werkmeister-Martin doubled for WU and crossed the plate on a single by Daly.
L&C pulled within 8-3 in the top of the eighth. Fischel blasted a 2-run homer, his second home run of the game, for Willamette in the bottom of the eighth. The Pioneers tallied two runs in the ninth to complete the scoring.
Werkmeister-Martin was 3 for 3 with two doubles and three runs for Willamette in the opener. Daley went 3 for 5 with a run and two RBIs. Fischel added a 3-for-5 effort with his two homers, two runs scored, and five RBIs. Willamette outhit L&C, 17-4.
The series will conclude with a doubleheader at John Lewis Field on Sunday, April 4. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. (PDT).
