For the first time in a long time, the Whitman baseball team can boast a winning record after a season-opening 1-0 victory over Western Baptist at Borleske Stadium Saturday afternoon. Sophomore southpaw Ryan Toivola went the distance for the Missionaries, pitching seven innings of one-hit baseball.
The game, the first of four scheduled for the Missionaries in Whitman's annual Travelodge Invitational Tournament, proved to be the host squad's only action of the weekend. Rain cancelled the remainder of the games scheduled for Saturday night and all day Sunday.
Sophomore right fielder Kyle Carothers scored Whitman's winning run against Western Baptist in the bottom of the sixth inning. After reaching second base on a throwing error by the Warrior shortstop, Carothers moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Bobby Jones. Carothers then scored on a wild pitch by Warrior ace Jeff Uskoski, who also pitched a complete game.
Though both teams had chances to score earlier in the ballgame, neither could push a run across against Toivola or Uskoski. In the top of the fourth, with a runner at second base and two outs, Missionary center fielder David Fee made a diving grab at the wall to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.
Toivola struck out seven, walked four, and surrendered his only hit, a line drive single to shallow center, in the sixth inning. His teammates managed five hits off Uskoski, including a single and a double by senior captain Marty Parsons. Adding one hit each were Jones, Matt Brewer and Adam Zaitz.
Had it not been for the rain, Whitman would have played games against Central Washington University Saturday night and Whitworth College on Sunday morning (the Whitworth game has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 26). Sunday's rain also canceled what would have been the tournament championship and consolation games.
The Missionaries will be in Lewiston, Idaho, this Friday through Sunday, March 3-5, for a tournament hosted by Lewis-Clark State College. Weather permitting, of course, the Missionaries will get a strenuous workout, playing five games in three days. Whitman will play its first game at 1 p.m. Friday against Northwest Conference rival Linfield College (the game will not count in the conference standings, however).
In his baseball first action since last May, Whitman senior captain Jimmy Hill hurled a complete game three-hitter as the Missionary batsmen smothered the Linfield Wildcats 12-2 in Friday's 45th annual Coca-Cola Banana Belt Baseball Tournament hosted by Lewis-Clark State College. In downing Linfield, last year's Northwest Conference co-champion, Whitman ran its season-opening record to 2-0.
Hill scattered three hits, all singles, allowing single runs in the third and fourth innings. Whitman's offense piled up five runs over the first three innings and then blew the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh. The victory was a bit of sweet revenge for Hill, who lost a 1-0 decision to Linfield last spring.
Sophomore right fielder Kyle Carothers led the Missionary attack with a triple and three singles. Junior second baseman Bobby Jones rapped a single and a double, while freshman Blake Fisher contributed two singlesl.
Other Missionaries with a hit included sophomores David Fee, Matt Brewer and Ryan Toivola. Whitman amassed 13 hits from seven different hitters on the afternoon.
Coming off two straight season-opening victories, including one earlier in the day, Whitman's baseball team hit a fork in the road Friday afternoon in losing 14-9 to Eastern Oregon University in the Coca-Cola Banana Belt Baseball Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho. The Missionaries collected nine runs off ten hits, but the Mountaineers countered with 14 runs off three Whitman hurlers.
Sophomore Ryan Toivola, who won Whitman's first game last weekend with a complete-game one-hitter, threw the first five innings against Eastern Oregon. The Missionaries scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning and led 6-5 after five frames. Eastern Oregon exploded for nine runs in the late innings, however, to pull out the victory.
Whitman second baseman Bobby Jones had another strong day at the plate. Jones poked a single and clubbed the first Missionary home run of the season. Matt Brewer, Ryan Nelson and Marty Parsons had two hits each for the Missionaries. Nelson, a freshman, had two doubles.
Travis Lovejoy and Chris Zintel added one hit apiece for Whitman.
In other tournament games Friday, Lewis-Clark State whipped Puget Sound 13-2 and Eastern Oregon 9-4, and Albertson split a pair of games, losing to Linfield 13-3 while beating Northwest Nazarene 11-0. Puget Sound also got in the win column with a 6-5 victory over Northwest Nazarene.
Playing against the first of two strong NAIA teams on Saturday, the Missionaries fell to a tough Albertson squad, by a score of 15-3 in their third game of the Coca-Cola Banana Belt Tournament. The Missionaries are now 2-2 on the season, heading into their second game of the day, against Northwest Nazarene.
Freshman southpaw Ryan Nelson made his first collegiate start on the mound for the Missionaries and surrendered five hits and seven runs in three innings of duty. Fellow freshman Jeff Hammonds came on in relief and pitched a scoreless two innings, allowing only one hit while striking out two before being replaced by Nat Sampson in the start of the sixth.
Sampson allowed four hits and seven earned runs in an inning and a third. Junior Grady Blacken pitched the final two outs of the game and allowed one run on two hits.
Whitman managed only four hits in the game off of ALbertson hurler Chris Rennaker. Rennaker allowed three hits and three runs (one earned) in six innings of duty, while striking out a total of six Missionary batters. Jason Wonderlich pitched the final inning for ALbertson's, allowing one hit.
Kyle Carothers continued his impressive tournament hitting with a 2 for 4 showing at the plate. David Fee and Danny Richards had the Missionaries other two hits, all singles. Fee also stole a base and scored one of the Missionaries three runs.
Matt Brewer had the sole Missionary RBI with a bases loaded walk in the fifth.
Coming off a tough loss to Albertson College in their early game, the Missionary bats stormed back for a 15-9 thumping over NAIA foe Northwest Nazarene. Chris Garratt pitched five-plus innings for the Missionaries in picking up his first win of the season. The Missionaries now hold a 3-2 season record with one game remaining in the three-day tournament in Lewiston.
Down 4-0 to Northwest Nazarene after three innings, Whitman fought back with five runs in the top of the fourth and never relinquished the lead again. Sophomore Kyle Carothers continued his impressive tournament with a solo home run in the fourth, and ended the game with four hits in all.
The Missionaries pounded out 22 hits in all, as ten different Missionaries collected one or more hits in the onslaught. Catcher Adam Zaitz turned out the lights on Northwest Nazarene with a towering three-run home run in the top of the ninth for Whitman. Zaitz collected two hits, two walks, three runs and three RBI on the day.
Jack Brink picked up the save for the Missionaries, pitching two shutout innings of no-hit, three strikeout relief. David Fee also pitched two scoreless innings of middle relief for Whitman.
Also contributing at the plate for Whitman were Matt Brewer and Ryan Nelson with three hits apiece. Bobby Jones, Travis Lovejoy, Ryan Toivola and Blake Fisher all had two hits for the Missionaries. Nelson and Jones each had two RBI.
Over spring break, the Missionaries traveled to sunny California, where Whitman Whitman split four games in two days at the California Invitational baseball tournament held each year in March.
In its first game Whitman nearly upset the 3rd ranked NAIA team in the nation, falling to Chapman College, 4-1. The Missionaries came back to defeat Cal State-Hayward, 8-6 on Saturday afternoon, before disposing of Whittier College on Sunday, 7-5. Out of arms after a long weekend, Whitman was unable to keep North Central from scoring in a sluggish 14-11 defeat that left the Missionaries at 5-8 overall after the weekend.
In their games on Sunday, the Missionaries had multiple offensive stars, while Jimmy Hill and Jack Brink combined to allow only two earned runs against Whittier College. Hill pitched 7 2/3 innings before relinquishing the game to Brink who pitched the final out of the eight, and all of the ninth to pick up the save. Hill scattered ten hits and two walks, allowing four runs (two earned), while striking out four for the victory.
Ryan Toivola went a perfect 4 for 4 in the game with one RBI, a run scored and a double. Andy Tillo had two hits, including a home run and a double, three RBI and a run scored. Blake Fisher had two hits, including a double and a run scored, while Bob Jones, Matt Brewer and Ryan Nelson all collected doubles, as well as one run and one RBI each.
In the loss to North Central, Bob Jones was the star for the Missionaries as he went 4 for 5 at the plate with two doubles, three runs, and two RBI. Kyle Carothers was 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Travis Lovejoy was also 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Ryan Toivola and David Fee also had two hits apiece for the Missionaries.
Aaron Stiassny made a rare start for the Missionaries at catcher and went 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Blake Fisher and Danny Richards also had hits for the Missionaries in the game, while Marty Parsons contributed an RBI.
Proving they can win in more ways than one, the Whitman men's baseball team swept a Northwest Conference doubleheader from Whitworth Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. After winning the 7-inning opener 1-0, the Missionaries rallied in the nightcap for a 15-14 triumph in a 10-inning slugfest. Whitman improved to 7-8 on the season and 2-3 in the conference. The Pirates fell to 6-12 on their young season, 1-4 in the NWC.
Whitman sophomore Ryan Toivola hurled a three-hit shutout in the first game. Toivola, a left-hander, walked two, struck out four and never allowed a runner to move past second base.
Toivola outdueled Whitworth ace Matt Squires, who surrendered just four hits while striking out five and walking three.
Whitman sophomore Matt Brewer led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a line single up the middle. After Adam Zaitz, another sophomore, advanced pinch runner Jon Keefer to second base with a sacrifice bunt, a Squires wild pitch sent the winning run to third.
With one out and the infield drawn in, senior Marty Parsons hit a screamer right at the second baseman. Although the liner was bobbled, allowing Parsons to reach first base safely, Keefer was forced to hold at third. Sophomore David Fee then executed a suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Keefer with the winning run while reaching first with his second hit of the game.
Fee also rapped a double in the fifth inning and reached base on a walk in the third. Brewer and Zaitz had the only other Missionary hits, both singles.
The second game was all offense as both teams scored at least one run in all but three innings. Whitworth led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the second inning, when Whitman junior Andy Tillo crushed a three-run home run to give the Missionaries a short-lived 4-3 lead. The Pirates responded with six runs in the next two innings to take a commanding 9-4 advantage.
Tillo ripped his second home run of the game, and third of the season, in the bottom of the sixth. The two-run bomb, which cleared the left field fence by a foot, trimmed Whitworth's lead to 10-6.
Zaitz kept Whitman's comeback on track with a three-run homer in the seventh inning, pulling the Missionaries to within 11-9 after seven inning. Whitman broke through with five more runs in the eighth frame to move in front 14-11. Tillo led off the inning with a walk and proceeded to steal second before scoring on David Fee's second double of the ballgame, a drive to wall in left. The Missionaries batted around in the inning as they were aided at the plate by three bases on balls and three doubles. Tillo struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Pirates were not done, however. In the top of the ninth, Whitworth scored three runs on three walks and a two-run, two-out single to knot the score at 14-14. With the bases still loaded with Pirates, Brewer took over the pitching chores and recorded the inning's final out on a swining strike three.
Whitman failed to score in its half of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. After Brewer struck out the side in the top of the tenth, Whitman sophomore Kyle Carothers drew a four-pitch walk to set the stage for the Missionaries. Carothers moved to second on a disputed balk call and took third based when Zaitz flied out to deep centerfield.
With two outs, the Pirates intentionally walked Toivola, who already had three hits in the game, to get to Missionary third baseman Chris Zintel, a ninth-inning defensive replacement. After watching the first two strikes breeze past him, Zintel fouled a tough pitch back to the screen before bouncing a hopper between the mound and a hard-charging Whitworth shortstop Miguel Saldin. Zintel beat the throw to first to plate Carothers with the game-winning run.
Brewer pitched one and one-third innings, striking out four of the five batters he faced to earn the victory for the Missionaries. Fee and Toivola each had three hits, two runs and an RBI in the game, and all ten Missionaries who played had at least one hit.
At the plate, Brewer had two singles and scored a run. Zaitz, who had a single to go with his three-run home run, also scored three times. Tillo collected four RBI and scored three runs on his two home runs, two walks and a stolen base.
After downing Whitworth twice on Saturday, the Whitman men's baseball team stranded 13 runners Sunday afternoon and paid the price, losing a 5-3 nine-inning Northwest Conference decision to the Pirates. Whitman dropped to 7-9 on the season while the Pirates jumped to 7-12. Both schools ended their three-game weekend set with 2-4 records in conference play.
Senior Jimmy Hill went the distance on the mound for Whitman, surrendering five runs, four earned, on ten hits and a walk, while striking out four. Whitworth's Aaron Keller pitched eight plus innings for the victory, allowing only two earned runs on nine hits, no walks and two strikeouts.
Offensively for the Missionaries, Dave Fee and Andy Tillo continued successful weekends at the plate. Fee collected a single and a triple, scoring one run while knocking in a second. Tillo connected for his third home run of the weekend, a solo shot, in the ninth inning. Freshman Blake Fisher also had two hits for Whitman and reached base two other times after being hit by a pitch.
A silent day at plate for the Missionaries proved costly Saturday afternoon as Whitman lost a pair of non-conference games to the University of British Columbia, 3-1 and 7-1.
Ryan Toivola went the distance for Whitman in the first game, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits. Toivola, who struck out four, is now 2-2 on the season with a team- leading 2.72 earned run average.
Unfortunately for Toivola, the Missionaries mustered only three hits of their own in the loss and left six runners on base. Blake Fisher, Bobby Jones and Kyle Carothers had the Whitman hits.
After a Bobby Jones groundout in the fourth, Carothers lined a double to the left-center wall, moved to third on a groundout by Adam Zaitz, and eventually scored on a ground ball by Matt Brewer to third. Brewer reached base on a fielding error.
In the second game, UBC took the lead for good in the fourth inning with two runs. The Thunderbirds extended their lead by pushing across three more runs in the fifth. Tillo pitched four and one-third innings, allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits. Tillo struck out five.
The Missionaries also managed just three hits in the second game. Ryan Nelson singled with two outs in third inning, Carothers ripped a two-out double in the fourth, and Jones Jones rapped a run-scoring single in the sixth. The hit scored Ari Stiassny, who reached base on a walk and moved to second on a passed ball.
After a late-inning scoring barrage in the first game gave Whitman an 8-2 victory over the University of British Columbia, the Thunderbirds stormed back in the second game for a sloppy 20-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The Missionaries ended the weekend with an 8-12 season record.
In the first game, senior Chris Garratt (2-2) picked up his second win of the season. He allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three Thunderbirds in six innings of work. Matt Brewer (1-0, 2.25 ERA) pitched a scoreless seventh for the Missionaries in a non-save situation.
The Missionaries never trailed in the contest, after jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first. Travis Lovejoy led off with a bunt and reached on a throwing error by the catcher. One out later, Bobby Jones (.324 BA, 12 R, 14 RBI) hit a line-drive single back up the middle to score Lovejoy. Jones moved to third on a single by Whitman catcher Adam Zaitz (.267 BA, 10 R, 13 RBI) and scored on a single by Ryan Toivola.
After loading the bases but failing to score in the third inning, the Missionaries broke through with three runs in the fourth inning. Danny Richards drew a lead-off walk and Andy Tillo reached base safely on an error and fielder's choice. Then, with two on and one out, Jones blistered a ball to the left field wall for a two-run double. Kyle Carothers (.361 BA, 9 R, 12 RBI), who was 3 for 4 in the game, followed with an RBI double
In the fifth, Richards doubled and scored on a Travis Lovejoy triple.
The Missionaries completed their scoring in the bottom of the sixth. Carothers blooped a single to center and Zaitz doubled him in. Zaitz then scored on a throwing error later in the inning.
All nine Missionary batters reached base in the game. Whitman finished with 10 hits.
The batting blues returned for Whitman in the second game, however, as the Missionaries managed just five hits. The Thunderbirds turned the game into a rout by scorinig nine runs in the sixth inning off of three Missionary pitchers. Six of the runs were scored with two outs.
The only Missionary spark came in the second inning. With two outs and nobody on base, Marty Parsons singled through the hole between third base and shortstop. Matt Brewer followed with his first home run of the year, a two-run shot over the trees in left field. Parsons had two hits in the game. Jay Babbitt and Blake Fisher had the only other Missionary hits.
The visiting University of Puget Sound scratched out enough hits on a sunny afternoon to post a pair of close Northwest Conference baseball decisions over Whitman at Borleske Stadium Saturday. The Missionaries fell behind early in both games, eventually losing 6-2 in the opener and 2-1 in the nightcap.
In the nine-inning second game, UPS combined two singles and a two-run double in the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead off Whitman starter Chris Garratt. Those runs proved to be the difference. Neither team scored again until Whitman plated one run in the bottom of the ninth off UPS starter Jeff Halstead.
Garratt pitched eight innings, allowing just seven hits and four walks while striking out six. Halstead countered with a complete-game three-hitter with no walks.
Bobby Jones had two of Whitman's hits against Halstead. Jones ripped a two-out double in the first inning and then singled home the only Missionary run in the ninth inning. David Fee, who had Whitman's other hit (a two-out, sixth-inning double), reached base on a UPS throwing error in the ninth and then scored when Jones singled.
The Missionary ninth-inning comeback bid continued when Kyle Carothers was hit by a pitch, advancing Jones into scoring position at second base. Halstead preserved his victory, however, by getting the last two outs on a fly to center field and an infield grounder.
A lack of timely hitting cost the Missionaries a shot at victory in Saturday's seven-inning first game. Whitman managed eight hits, including two doubles by Jones and a triple by Adam Zaitz, but the Missionaries also stranded six runners -- four in scoring position.
UPS scored three runs in the first frame and Loggers never trailed in the game. Whitman scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning, cutting its deficit to 4-2 at that point.
In the fourth inning, Jones led off with his second double of the game, a liner off the left field wall, advanced to third base on a ground-out by Kyle Carothers, and scored when Zaitz clubbed his triple. In the fifth, designated hitter Ryan Nelson led off with a hard single off the third baseman's glove. Nelson took second on a single by Andy Tillo, moved to third on another single by Travis Lovejoy, and scored on an RBI-groundout by Blake Fisher.
Jones, who doubled but was left stranded in the first inning, and Matt Brewer (two singles) were the only Missionaries with two hits in the game.
Whitman's Jimmy Hill all but dominated the University of Puget Sound for nine innings Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium, but the senior righthander left the deadlocked contest with a no-decision. Two Missionary pitchers later, Whitman escaped a 14-inning marathon with a 6-5 Northwest Conference victory.
Whitman improved to 3-6 in conference, 9-14 overall, while the Loggers fell to 5-7, 10-15.
Whitman scored a single run in each of the first four innings and appeared headed for an easy victory. But the Loggers rallied for four runs, three of them unearned, in the sixth inning.
The Missionaries regained a 5-4 lead the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Bobby Jones led off with a single, advanced to second and third on an error and stolen base, and then scored on Ryan Toivola's sacrifice fly. UPS again rallied, however, tying the game with a single run in the ninth to send the contest to extra innings.
Whitman relievers Jack Brink and Matt Brewer combined to shut out the Loggers on one hit over the next five innings. Brink pitched three innings and struck out four, while Brewer finished the game for his second win of the season (2-0, 1.50 ERA). Brewer pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He retired the side in order in the top of the 14th.
Whitman missed scoring opportunities in the 10th and 11th innings, moving runners into scoring position with less than two outs before leaving them stranded. Then, Kyle Carothers opened the 14th inning with a line single to center and moved to second base on an Adam Zaitz sacrifice. After an intentional walk to first baseman Marty Parsons, Chris Zintel hit a hard grounder up the middle that was bobbled by the UPS second baseman, resulting in a bases-loaded, two-out opportunity for pinch-hitter Travis Lovejoy. Lovejoy blooped a single into right field as Carothers sprinted home with the winning run.
Blake Fisher singled in the first inning and scored Whitman's first run on a Carothers single. In the second, Brewer scorched a line-shot home run into the trees in left field. Fisher walked in the third inning and scored again on an error and wild pitch. Brewer was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and later scored on Andy Tillo's double.
In addition to his fifth-inning single, Jones also had a double and two bases on balls. Carothers and Brewer also finished with two hits each. As a team, Whitman stranded 16 runners in the game.
Displaying both dominant pitching and hitting, the Albertson College Coyotes ran their season record to 30-6 with a 13-3 non-conference victory over Whitman in a nine-inning game Wednesday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The Coyotes are ranked No. 3 nationally in the latest NAIA baseball poll.
Whitman returns to Northwest Conference play when it hosts Willamette in a 1 p.m. doubleheader this Saturday, April 15, at Borleske. The two teams will complete their weekend series with a noon game on Sunday.
After bolting to a four-run lead in the first two innings, the Coyotes continued to hit the ball well to all fields and extended their lead to 10-0 heading into Whitman's half of the sixth inning. That's when the Missionary bats came alive for three runs.
Senior Marty Parsons triggered the outburst with lead-off single through the hole between third and shortstop. Parsons scored one pitch later when sophomore Kyle Carothers pulled a change-up far over the right-field fence for his second home run of the season. One out later, after reaching base on a fielder's choice, Travis Lovejoy scored the final Missionary run on a Bobby Jones triple.
Jones, Whitman's leading hitter, upped his team-leading RBI total to 16. Carothers raised his RBI total to 15 with his two-run blast.
The Missionaries, who had runners on base in all but the first inning, left nine runners stranded for the game. Freshman Blake Fisher ripped a double and two singles in five trips to the plate. Parsons had two singles in three at-bats.
Matt Brewer started on the mound for the Missionaries and had four strikeouts through the first three innings. He left with one out in the fourth with tightness in his throwing arm.
After stranding eight of 10 runners in its 2-0 first-game victory over Willamette Saturday afternoon, Whitman did a much better job of capitalizing on its scoring opportunities in rolling to a 10-7 victory in the second game at Borleske Stadium. The Missionaries stranded just four runners in the nightcap to complete their Northwest Conference doubleheader sweep.
Whitman improved to 5-6 in conference play and 11-15 on the season. The Bearcats fell to 4-7 in conference, 13-14 overall.
Ryan Toivola hurled Whitman to its first-game victory. The sophomore southpaw scattered four hits and two walks, striking out four, in working his fifth complete game of the year. Toivola is now 4-3 with a 2.92 earned run average in eight starts.
Whitman scored its two runs in the fourth inning. Bobby Jones drew a lead-off walk and moved to second base when Kyle Carothers reached on an infield throwing error. After Adam Zaitz sacrificed both runners into scoring position, Matt Brewer singled up the middle to plate both runs. That was all the run support Toivola needed. He retired the side in order in the fifth inning and then escaped trouble in both the sixth and seventh frames.
Other than Brewer's RBI single, Whitman managed just two other hits in the first game, both by Jones. He doubled in the first inning and singled in the fifth.
Despite its scarcity of hits, Whitman took advantage of three walks, a hit-batsman and three Willamette errors to put runners aboard in all but the second inning. Unfortunately, the Missionaries also left six of those runners stranded in scoring position.
Whitman's Chris Garratt pitched seven solid innings in the second game, striking out five and walking only one to pick up his third win of the year. Jack Brink closed out the game, getting the final five outs for his third save of the season. Brink fanned two in his brief stint, raising his strike-out total to 12 in 12.2 innings of work.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the second, the Missionaries rallied for four runs in their half of the inning to take the lead for good. After Ryan Toivola and Marty Parsons singled, Travis Lovejoy was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Freshman Ryan Nelson then doubled off the right-field wall to send all three runners home. Adam Zaitz singled to center to score Nelson, who was on his way to a perfect day at the plate. In four at-bats, he also singled, walked and was hit by a pitch.
Parsons homered to left field on an 0-2 fastball in the third inning, extending Whitman's lead to 5-2. He rapped this third hit of the game, another single, in the seventh inning.
In the sixth, Lovejoy led off with a single to center and Nelson walked. After Zaitz sacrificed the runners to second and third, freshman Blake Fisher followed with a two-run single, pushing the Missionary lead to 7-3.
Willamette rallied for a run in the seventh and scored three more in the eighth. By that point, however, Whitman's three-run seventh had the game safely in hand.
Toivola, who also had three hits in the game, started the Whitman seventh with a double to the left-center field wall. Brewer walked and Parsons loaded the bases with an infield hit. Lovejoy knocked in one run with a groundout. After Nelson was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, Fisher poked a two-out, two run single for his third hit of the game.
After watching his team get swept by the Missionaries on Saturday, Willamette's Nik Lubisich made sure Sunday's outcome would be different. Lubisich, one of the top pitchers in the Northwest Conference, carried the Bearcats to a 9-1 nine-inning victory over the Missionaries at Borleske Stadium.
Willamette and Whitman finished their weekend series in a three-way tie for fifth-place in the conference standings. Both schools, along with Lewis & Clark, are 5-7 in league play.
Lubisich, a junior left-hander, allowed just four hits and one walk in going the distance. He struck out eight Missionary batters along the way. He also contributed at the plate, smacking an opposite-field home run in the first inning and knocking in a run with a groundout in Willamette's five-run ninth.
Whitman scored its lone run without the benefit of a hit in the fourth inning. Adam Zaitz led off with a walk, took second on a passed ball, and moved to third when Blake Fisher rolled a groundball to the right side of the infield. Bobby Jones then pushed a one-out bunt down the first-base line to score Zaitz easily.
Zaitz, Whitman's sophomore catcher, hit in the lead-off spot and was one of the few Missionaries who had much luck with Lubisish. Zaitz also lined out to left field in the first inning, singled in the sixth and doubled into the right-field corner in the ninth. Matt Brewer also doubled and singled to account for the only Missionary hits.
Jimmy Hill started on the mound for Whitman and pitched into the ninth, allowing only four earned runs, while striking out three and walking just one. Hill's post-game earned run average remained below the 4.00 mark at 3.80, the third-best mark on the team behind Jack Brink (2.84 ERA) and Ryan Toivola (2.92 ERA).
Despite going hitless in his last two games, Bobby Jones continues to lead the Missionaries in nearly every offensive category. He is batting a team-high .344 with 15 runs and 17 RBI. Jones leads the league with 14 doubles and has a .548 slugging percentage. Ryan Toivola (.317 BA) and Blake Fisher (.305 BA, 13 R, 12 RBI) are also batting over .300 for Whitman.
A few untimely mistakes cost the Missionaries a chance at a big Northwest Conference road victory Tuesday afternoon in Portland. Lewis & Clark rebounded from an early deficit to steal a 7-6 victory from Whitman in a game that went 10 innings. The loss dropped the Missionaries a game behind the Pioneers, and one-half game behind Willamette, in the conference standings. Lewis & Clark upped its record to 6-7 and took sole possession of fifth place in NWC.
The Missionaries dominated the game early, scoring in the first, fourth and fifth innings to grab a 4-0 lead. The floodgates opened for LC in the bottom of the fifth, however, as the Pioneers rallied back for six runs. Whitman countered with a run in the sixth inning and one more to tie it in the eighth, but the Missionaries failed plate the go-ahead run in the tenth, despite having runners on second and third with one out.
In the first, Kyle Carothers doubled home Ryan Toivola, who had reached on a single. Marty Parsons led off the fourth with a single and scored one out later on an RBI single by freshman third baseman Danny Richards, who was in the midst of a three-hit game.
In the two-run fifth, Blake Fisher walked and stole second to start the rally. Carothers followed with a one-out double to the left field wall for his second RBI of the game. Matt Brewer singled with two outs to score Carothers.
After Adam Zaitz cracked his third home run of the season in the sixth, Ryan Nelson scored in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch hitter Travis Lovejoy. Whitman stranded ten runners in the ballgame, seven in scoring position. Lovejoy was thrown out at the plate in the eighth as he tried to score the go-ahead run.
Andy Tillo, Toivola and Jack Brink, who divided the pitching chores for Whitman, combined to strike out 17 Pioneer batters on the day. But the Pioneers stayed close with one big inning, and they also benefited from nine walks and three Missionary errors. One four of LC's runs were earned.
LC's winning run, which scored with two outs in the 10th inning, was unearned. It scored on a bases loaded, full-count walk.
While Richards singled three times for Whitman, three other Missionaries -- Nelson, Carothers and Toivola -- all had two hits each. As a team, Whitman pounded out 13 hits.
The Missionaries lost a pair of conference games to a determined Linfield baseball squad, 4-1, 7-4, Friday afternoon. Whitman falls to 11-19 on the season, 5-10 in the Northwest Conference, while the Wildcats upped their record to 16-13, 9-5.
Chris Garratt pitched the first game for the Missionaries and allowed only two earned runs, while striking out four in his six innings of work. Unfortunately, a few costly mistakes and a general lack of production at the plate, was enough for the Wildcats to squeak by Whitman in game one.
With two outs in the top of the third, Travis Lovejoy singled to center for the Missionaries. Two pitches later, Adam Zaitz hit an RBI double to the center field wall for an early Missionary lead, 1-0. Linfield rallied for three runs in their half of the inning, after two Missionary errors, and never trailed again in the contest.
Whitman managed only five hits off Linfield ace, Rob Schlegel, as Zaitz was the only Missionary with two hits.
The Missionaries appeared to be in control of the second game, leading 4-3 after seven innings, but Linfield again rallied from behind, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth, to pull away for the 7-4 win.
In the fifth, Ryan Nelson and David Fee hit consecutive singles to put runners on the corners with no outs. With one out, Blake Fisher hit an RBI groundout to score Nelson, and Bobby Jones followed with an RBI single to plate Fee.
Whitman plated two more runs in the seventh, as Fisher started a two-out rally with a double to left and Jones followed with another RBI single. Kyle Carothers followed with an RBI double to score Jones before the Missionary threat ended.
Jones and Nelson had two hits, apiece in the contest, while Fisher led the ballclub with three hits. Ryan Toivola reached base four out of his five trips to the plate, on three walks and a single. Whitman left 11 runners on base in the game.
The Missionaries avoided a series sweep at the hands of Linfield Saturday with an 8-6 victory over the Wildcats in McMinnville, Oregon. Whitman raised its record to 6-10 in the Northwest Conference, 12-19 overall, while the Wildcats fell to 9-6 in the NWC and 16-14 on the season.
Both teams were scoreless until the fifth inning, when a pair of Whitman errors gave the Wilcats their first two runs. Whitman ace Ryan Toivola pitched into the sixth, allowing only three runs (two unearned) while striking out four and walking one.
After surrendering a third Wildcat run in the sixth on a steal of home, Whitman responded in the top of the eighth with a five-run onslaught to take the lead for good.
After Marty Parsons opened the inning with a walk, Matt Brewer singled to left and Chris Zintel walked to load the bases with no outs. Pinch-hitter Travis Lovejoy scored parson on a bunt single. One out later, with the bases still loaded, Blake Fisher lined a bases-clearing double off the center-field wall for for his second hit of the game. Fisher had an RBI groundout in the ninth and ended the day with two hits, a run and four RBI.
Whitman scored three more runs in the ninth to pull away. Parsons again got the ball rolling, this time with a single, and Brewer and Zintel both walked to load the bases. Lovejoy responded with an RBI-single, Parsons scored on a wild pitch, and Zintel scooted home on Fisher's groundout.
Linfield threatened in the ninth when the Missionary pitching staff combined to walk four batters and hit two more. The Wildcats scored three runs without a hit before freshman pitcher Ryan Nelson induced the ninth Linfield batter of the inning into a game-ending groundout.
Chris McManus, another Whitman freshman, pitched two and one-third innings of scoreless relief to pick up his second victory of the season. McManus did not allow a hit, striking out one and walking one. Nelson was credited with the save.
Fisher, Lovejoy and Bobby Jones all had two hits apiece for the Missionaries. Kyle Carothers contributed an RBI single in the eighth. He and Jones lead the team with 19 RBI apiece, while Fisher has 17.
The Missionaries split a doubleheader with the Boxers Saturday afternoon in Forest Grove, Ore., winning the first game 5-3 behind the solid pitching of sophomore Ryan Toivola, and losing the second game 9-0.
Showing once again that he belongs in the top tier of Northwest Conference pitchers, Toivola went the distance on the mound in the seven-inning first game, scattering nine hits and walking two, while striking out seven Boxer batters. Toivola's five wins (5-3) are the most by any Missionary pitcher in the last decade.
Whitman piled up 12 hits in the first game with eight different Missionaries contributing at least one hit. In the third inning, Chris Zintel led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Adam Zaitz, who had three hits in the game.
After the Boxers rallied to knot the score at 1-1 in their half of the third, Whitman scored two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth to seal the victory.
Bobby Jones doubled and scored on an RBI single by Kyle Carothers in the fourth, and Carothers scored two outs later on a sacrifice fly by Matt Brewer. In the sixth, after Carothers doubled and Marty Parsons singled, Brewer slapped a two-out, two-run single for the go-ahead runs.
Carothers and Jones both had two hits, and Brewer knocked in a third run with a sacrifice fly. Zaitz, Jones and pinch-runner Jon Keefer all stole a base for Whitman.
Carothers and freshman Danny Richards combined for five of the six Missionary hits in the second game. Carothers doubled twice and singled, while Richards reached base in all three of his plate appearances, twice on singles and once after being hit by the pitch. Jones also singled for Whitman.
Carothers collected five hits in eight at-bats in the two games. He had three doubles and scored two runs. He earned honorable mention Hitter of the Week recognition in the Northwest Conference for his efforts over the weekend.
The Missionaries absorbed a tough-luck loss Sunday, failing to hold a five-run lead as Pacific rallied to score six runs in the final three innings to grab an 9-8 Northwest Conference victory in Forest Grove, Ore. Whitman is now 13-21 on the season and 7-12 in the Northwest Conference, while Pacific stands at 12-23 overall, 9-12 in the NWC.
Whitman starter Chris Garratt struck out seven and walked only three in his seven innings of work for Whitman. The game slipped away, however, as the determined Boxers scored four runs off the Missionary relief corps in the final two innings. Pacific scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Whitman batted around in the fourth inning and scored six runs to take an early lead. With two outs, Matt Brewer doubled in Marty Parsons to start the assault. After Danny Richards was hit by a pitch and the runners advanced on a balk, Andy Tillo ripped a two-run single. Tillo eventually scored on a passed ball. Bobby Jones also had an RBI single in the inning, and the Missionaries were aided by two Pacific errors.
Tillo had an RBI-groundout in the fifth inning to score Brewer, and Jones smoked an RBI-double in the sixth to score Blake Fisher.
Fisher had had three singles and two runs scored, while Brewer contributed two singles and a double, scored two runs and recorded an RBI of his own. Tillo had three RBI on the afternoon, while Jones doubled and singled and knocked in two runs. Ryan Nelson also had two hits for the Missionaries.
Whitman split a Northwest Conference doubleheader at Lewis & Clark College in Portland Thursday, losing 4-2 in the early game before breaking through for a 13-12 win in the nightcap. The Missionaries are now 14-22 on the season, 8-13 in the NWC, while Lewis & Clark now stands at 16-19 overall, 9-12 NWC.
Ryan Toivola went the distance for the Missionaries in the loss, allowing six hits and four walks while striking out two. The Pioneers were somewhat lucky to escape with the victory. They scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning on an infield single and some snazzy baserunning.
The Missionaries scored their only two runs in the first inning. Blake Fisher and Adam Zaitz both doubled, and Bobby Jones contributed an RBI single. Whitman managed only one hit over the next six innings, however, as Lewis & Clark pitcher Matt Pellegrino went the distance for the Pioneers. He struck out five and walked only one, allowing only six baserunners in the game.
While the first game lacked in offensive excitement, that wasn't the case in game two. The two teams combined for 40 hits and 25 runs in nine innings of play before Whitman's Jimmy Hill, pitching in relief, picked up his second victory of the year.
Hill tossed the final seven outs of the ballgame for the Missionaries without allowing a run. He struck out two, walked one and allowed three hits, lowering his earned run average to 4.50 heading into the weekend. Chris McManus started the game for the Missionaries and pitched into the fifth before giving way to Jeff Hammond, who pitched two and one-third innings of middle relief.
Whitman opened up a 9-3 lead with a six-run outburst in its half of the fifth inning. But the Pioneers answered right back, scoring nine runs (four on a grand slam) of their own in their half of the inning regain the lead at 12-9. Whitman scored three in the eighth to tie it, and then added the decisive run in the ninth when Chris Zintel scored from third base a two-out infield error.
Zintel led off the ninth with his fourth hit of the game, a double to center field, and moved to third on a flyout to the right-field wall off the bat of David Fee. One out later, Matt Brewer grounded to short, but an errant throw to first allowed Zintel to score and Brewer to reach second on the play.
After surrendering a lead-off double in the bottom of the inning, Hill retired the next three batters in order, two on strike-outs, to seal the victory.
In Whitman's six-run fifth, Brewer, Jones and Kyle Carothers all singled off Pioneer starter Bill Allen. Zaitz greeted reliever Dan Floyd with a three-run double off the right-centerfield wall, and Ryan Toivola followed with a single to center that scored Zaitz. After Marty Parsons was hit with a pitch and Zintel singled, the Pioneers finally recorded their first out of the inning when Fee lined out to right. One out later, Fisher poked a two-run single.
All nine Whitman hitters had at least one hit in the game. Zaitz was perfect at the plate with five hits, including three doubles, in five trips. Zaitz knocked in four runs and scored three others. Zintel had four hits in five trips, while Brewer had three singles and scored two. Fisher, Carothers and Toivola all had two hits. Fisher had three RBI, Carothers and Toivola each had two.
Whitman seniors Jimmy Hill and Chris Garratt combined to throw sixteen innings in two game, allowing only four earned runs against the Northwest Conference's best offensive team, but the final efforts for the two Missionary seniors were not enough, as George Fox went on to sweep the Northwest Conference doubleheader, 6-4, 2-0. The Bruins are now 27-8 on the season, 14-6 NWC, while the Missionaries stand at 14-23, 8-14 NWC.
Pitching on just one day of rest, Hill hurled his third complete game of the year in the early game, but a dropped fly ball and a misplayed grounder led to three unearned runs in the first for the Bruins, as the Missionaries would never lead in the ballgame.
In their half of the first, the Missionaries tied the game at three. Blake Fisher led-off with a single up the middle and Jones followed one out later with single to put runners at the corners with one out. Fisher scored from third when Jones attempted to steal second as the catcher's throw was over the head of the second baseman, as Jones was safe on the play. With two outs, Adam Zaitz smashed his fourth home run of the year over the left field wall to tie the game.
After the Bruins picked up a run in the fourth, the Missionaries again answered right back, as Andy Tillo led off the Missionary fifth with a solo shot that cleared the left-center field wall to knot the game at four runs apiece. The shot was Tillo's team-leading fifth home run; of his 10 hits on the year, eight have been for extra bases.
George Fox picked up its final two runs in the sixth, as the Bruins managed three quick hits in the inning before Hill retired the side with ease. Whitman threatened in the sixth, putting the tying run at first with two outs, and again in the seventh, as Chris Zintel singled to start the inning, but both times the Missionaries failed to score, as runners were twice thrown out attempting to steal.
In the second game, Chris Garratt and the Bruin starter combined for eight shutout innings of baseball, before the Bruins finally rallied for two runs in the ninth. Schilperoot led off the inning with an apparent groundout to first, but reached base as the ball took a bad hop. After a sacrifce moved the runner to second, Bates lined a triple to right-center to score the decisive run. The Bruins picked up another RBI-single, before the Bruins batted into a 4-3 double play to end the inning.
Garratt went the distance for the second time this season, scattering four hits and walking three, while striking out nine Bruin batters. He allowed only one earned run on the afternoon.
Bobby Jones had all three Missionary hits in the game, as the Missionaries reached second base only one time in the game.
Whitman wrapped up the season Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium versus top-ranked George Fox in a 15-7 loss, as the Missionaries ended the season at 14-25 overall, 8-16 NWC.
Pitching on only two days rest, Ryan Toivola started the ballgame for the Missionaries and lasted five innings, allowing only three earned runs while striking out two. Unfortunately, the Missionaries made a number of miscues in the contest, as the Bruins took advantage scoring five unearned runs in its six-run second.
Nat Sampson pitched two innings of shutout relief for Whitman in the seventh and eighth, before Jack Brink came on to pitch a scoreless ninth. Sampson allowed a lead-off single in the seventh, before retiring the next six batters he faced.
Trailing 15-0, the Missionaries showed signs of life late in the game, as the team scored a run in the seventh, before rallying for three in the eighth and three more in the ninth, but it was a story of too little too late. Of the Bruins 15 runs, only were earned.
Kyle Carothers doubled and score the Missionaries first run in the seventh on an RBI-single by senior Marty Parsons. Then in the eighth Chris Zintel led-off with a single to left and scored on an RBI-double by shortstop Matt Brewer. Bobby Jones then hit his league-leading 17th double of the season to plate Brewer. Carothers followed with his second hit in as many innings, an RBI-single to right, as Jones scored easily.
Parsons and Zintel each reached base on errors by the third baseman in the ninth to start the inning. Jon Keefer pinch ran for Parsons and scored from third on a soft groundout by centerfielder Andy Tillo. After Blake Fisher was hit, Brewer stepped to plate and promptly singled in Zintel for his third hit of the game. Jones followed with an RBI-single of his own to score Fisher before the rally ended.
Brewer and Jones each had three hits, one run and two RBI in the game, while Carothers singled and doubled, with one run and an RBI.
Jones finished the season leading the team in hitting (.365 BA), doubles (17), total bases (72), hits (50) and slugging percentage (.526). Adam Zaitz led the team in RBI with 25, while Jones had 24, and Carothers 23. Freshman Blake Fisher hit .310 for the Missionaries. He led the team with 22 runs and had 20 RBI, while playing in only 35 of the 39 games. Ryan Toivola finished the season as the Missionaries top-ranked pitcher. He was 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA in 13 games. Toivola hurled seven complete games, logging 77 innings; he struck out 57 and walked 32.