By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Joshua Murphy (Sr., C, Everett, WA/Cascade HS/Olympic College) smacked his first collegiate home run, Jeff Hoffman (Sr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) and Clint Walker (Grad., CF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) each earned three hits, and the Willamette University defense turned a triple play, as the Bearcats defeated Whitman College, 9-2, on Monday, May 6 at John Lewis Field. Willamette upped its record to 25-13 on the season, 15-9 in the Northwest Conference. Whitman fell to 25-15 overall, 16-8 in the NWC.
Both teams concluded the regular season on Monday, but the Bearcats and the Blues will be back in action this weekend at the 2024 NWC Baseball Tournament in Walla Walla, Washington. The tournament is slated for Friday, May 10 through Sunday, May 12. Whitman, the NWC regular season champion, will host the tournament. Willamette won two of three games in the series with Whitman to clinch second place in the standings. The Bearcats will open the NWC Tournament as the home team against Whitworth University (14-10) on Friday at 3 p.m. PDT. The fourth and final spot will go to either Pacific University (12-11) or Linfield University (12-12).
Willamette scored four runs in the first inning on three hits, two walks, and one error. The Bearcats also took advantage of three wild pitches.
Tassos Foster (Sr., 2B, Novato, CA/Novato HS) walked and then went to third on a single toward second base by Hoffman. A wild pitch allowed Foster to score and Hoffman to move to second. With one out, Drew Baskin (Jr., SS, Arroyo Grande, CA/Arroyo Grande HS) walked and Carl Lawson (Sr., OF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) hit a bunt single to load the bases. Two wild pitches led to Hoffman and Baskin crossing the plate. Walker completed the offensive surge with an RBI double down the right field line.
Murphy blasted a solo home run to start the second inning. Foster followed with a double, but the Bearcats went on to leave the bases loaded. In the third inning, Murphy singled and later scored on a single by Hoffman, increasing Willamette's lead to 6-0.
Willamette starting pitcher Logan Haslam (Sr., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) threw four innings without allowing a hit or a run. He earned eight strikeouts and three walks before giving way to Pruitt Spritzer (Grad., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep) in the top of the fifth.
The Bearcats pushed across two runs in the fifth. Murphy was hit by a pitch with one out and scored with two outs after a single by Hoffman was played in center field. Hoffman went to second on the play, and scored when Rocco Granucci (Jr., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) followed with a single to right center.
In the top of the sixth Brandon Ting of Whitman lined into a triple play with runners at first and second. Foster, playing second base, started the triple play by catching Ting's low line drive behind second base. He touched second base to put out Garrett Runyon, who failed to tag up at second. Foster then threw the ball to Hoffman at first base. Hoffman touched the bag to put out Bickerton, who also was unable to tag up after the line out.
WU tacked on a run in the sixth inning when Baskin scored on a single by Walker for a 9-0 lead. Whitman scored both of its runs in the eighth inning on a two-runner homer by Ting with Jack Bickerton on base.
Spritzer was the winning pitcher, now 3-0, after striking out one batter and throwing one scoreless inning. Samuel Daly (Grad., RHP, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) also tossed a scoreless frame for the Bearcats. Brady Joyner (Sr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) struck out four batters over the final three innings and registered his fifth save of the season to become WU's career leader with 24 saves.
Hoffman was 3 of 4 with two runs and one RBI. Walker went 3 of 5 with two RBIs. Murphy finished 2 for 3 with a homer, three runs, and an RBI. Foster was 2 for 3 with a run and two walks, while Baskin walked three times and scored twice.
Whitman starter Mateus Conaway fell to 5-5 with the loss. He allowed six runs on seven hits in three innings. Halen Otte was 2 of 4 for the Blues. Bickerton added a 2-for-5 performance with a run scored. Willamette outhit the Blues, 12-6.
