Opening the season with an exhibition game against the Prairie Baseball Academy Prairie Dawgs of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, the Whitman Missionaries dropped a 7-3 seven-inning baseball decision Friday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The outcome and player statistics will not count as part of Whitman's official records.
The home team fell behind early as the Prairie Dawgs grabbed a 6-0 lead with five runs in the third inning, the last three of which came courtesy of Tyler Klippenstein's three-run homer.
Whitman got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth, and the Missionaries scored twice more in the sixth after surrendering a run in the top half of the frame. Senior Nat Sampson, Whitman's third pitcher, closed out the game with two-and-one-third innings of scoreless relief, allowing only one hit.
The Missionaries were outhit 9-7 on the evening. Sophomore center fielder Ryan Nelson had three of the seven Missionary hits, including one double. He also stole second base twice. Junior first baseman Ryan Toivola doubled and drove in a run, and sophomore second baseman Blake Fisher had a single and an RBI.
Gaining revenge for Friday afternoon's exhibition game loss, the Whitman baseball team outscored the Prairie Baseball Academy 13-12 Saturday morning in opening-round action of the Kight Invitational baseball tournament. The four-team tourney got underway Friday night at Borleske Stadium with Prairie edging the University of Puget Sound 6-4.
Games involving Prairie, a collegiate team based in Lethbridge, Canada, will not count against season records of American schools. As a tournament participant, however, Prairie is competing for a spot in Sunday's championship game.
In Saturday morning's game, the Prairie Dawgs jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Missionary starter Matt Brewer. Whitman countered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame, but Prairie scored three more runs in the second.
Brewer then found his groove, retiring the next six consecutive Prairie batters, and Whitman took its first lead with a three-run fourth, chasing Prairie Dawg starter Rob Lacheur.
Whitman gave up two more runs in the fifth and the floodgates began to open in the sixth. The Prairie Dawgs scored five times in the sixth before sophomore right-hander Jake Jensen, Whitman's third pitcher of the inning, got the final out of the inning.
Whitman rallied in its next at-bat, scoring six runs to retake the lead for good, 13-11. The Missionaries collected eight walks in the inning.
Whitman's big hit of the inning came with the bases loaded and one out. Senior Josh McCall stroked a first-pitch, pinch-hit double down the left field line, scoring two.
Junior David Fee closed out the victory in the seventh, allowing one run and one hit. Jensen picked up the win.
Whitman collected ten hits on the day. Blake Fisher, Kyle Carothers and Brewer all had two safeties. Fisher had two RBI and a double, while Danny Richards had a hit, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored.
The Whitman College baseball team lost a disappointing 16-0 game to the University of Puget Sound in the second round of the Kight Invitational Saturday evening at Borleske Stadium. The loss drops the Missionaries to 1-1 in the tournament, and is the first game of record in the 2001 season.
Puget Sound completed the round robin portion of the tournament 1-2, and will play the loser of the Whitman-Central Washington game Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Consolation round.
Whitman plays the Wildcats at 10 a.m. Sunday morning with the winner advancing to the Championship game versus Prairie Baseball Academy (2-1 in the tourney) at 12:30 p.m.
Junior southpaw Ryan Toivola started on the mound for the Missionaries and pitched into the sixth before giving way to the bullpen down 4-0. In his first outing of the spring, Toivola allowed four hits and two walks in five+ innings. He fanned three Logger batters.
Puget Sound went on to score five runs in the sixth and nine more in the seventh for the final margin of victory. Matt Sorenson picked up the victory, allowing four hits and three walks in six innings of work. He struck out seven Missionary batters on the way to the shutout.
With its bullpen springing a few leaks, Whitman handed a 9-6 victory to Central Washington University Sunday morning in the final game of the round-robin portion of the Kight Invitational at Borleske Stadium. The loss dropped the Missionaries into the consolation final of the tournament against University of Puget Sound, while Central advanced to the championship final against Prairie Baseball Academy.
For five innings Sunday morning, junior Mark Hinshaw was brilliant in his Missionary mound debut, holding the Wildcats to one run and four hits.
Meanwhile, Whitman grabbed a 3-1 lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jay Babbitt reached first on a two-out error and scored when David Fee's single to right field was misplayed. Fee, who took second base on the throw to the plate, then scored on a Travis Lovejoy single to center.
Hinshaw tired in the top of the sixth inning, however, and eventually gave way to the first of three relievers. The Wildcats took advantage of three hit-batters, one walk, an infield error and just one hit to score five times and take a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Whitman countered with three runs to tie the game at 6-6. Blake Fisher led off the inning with a home run down the left-field line to ignite the rally. Kyle Carothers was hit by a pitch, moved up two bases on Ryan Nelson's single and a Wildcat error, and scored on Matt Brewer's RBI groundout. Nelson came home with the game-tying run when Babbitt smacked a full-count, two-out single to center.
Central came right back in the top of the seventh, scoring three more runs against three Whitman pitchers. A hit-batter and three walks set the stage for the winning Wildcat outburst.
Playing its fifth game in three days, Whitman ran out of gas in losing 12-2 to the University of Puget Sound in Sunday afternoon's consolation final of the Kight Invitational at Borleske Stadium.
Backed by solid pitching from a trio of hurlers, the Loggers employed an 11-hit, six-walk attack to jump on the Missionaries early and often. UPS scored two runs in the first, three more in the third, four in the fourth, and three in the sixth. The game was called on the ten-run rule at the end of six innings of play.
The Missionaries managed only two hits in the game, one each for Matt Brewer and Kyle Carothers. Whitman rallied its two runs, both unearned, in the fifth.
Whitman travels to the San Francisco bay area next weekend. The Missionaries play seven games in four days, beginning with a game against Chicago State University on Saturday, March 3. That game will be played at Chabot College's field in Hayward, Calif. Whitman then plays twinbills against Cal-State Hayward, Northwest Conference opponent Pacific University, and Cal-State Stanislaus.
Strong pitching by Ryan Toivola and Jeremy Bishop, along with some timely two-out hitting, allowed Whitman to open its California road trip with a 5-3 victory over Chicago State University Saturday afternoon in a game played at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif.
Chicago State, an NCAA Div. I school, took the early lead with three unearned runs in the second inning. But with Toivola holding the Cougars in check, Whitman rallied for all five of its runs in the sixth inning.
Blake Fisher singled to start the rally and took second on Matt Brewer's sacrifice bunt. After a Cougar pitching change and walks to Kyle Carothers and Adam Zaitz loaded the bases, Danny Richards ripped a two-out, two-run double down the third-base line. Designated hitter Josh McCall then singled in two more runs. Andy Tillo, pinch running for McCall, scored the game's fifth and final run on two Chicago State errors.
Toivola, Whitman's best starting pitcher a year ago, pitched seven and two-third innings for his first victory of the season. Jeremy Bishop closed out the game and notched his first save.
Weather permitting, the Missionaries will play a series of three doubleheaders over the next three days, beginning Sunday with two games at Cal State-Hayward.
Pacific prevailed for a pair of victories over Whitman when the two Northwest Conference rivals met Monday on the campus of Cal State-Hayward. After they rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal a 4-3 victory in the first game, the Boxers outslugged the Missionaries for a 16-11 triumph in the nightcap. The second game, marred by wind and rain, was shortened to five innings by darkness.
Whitman, which edged NCAA Div. 1 Chicago State University 5-3 on Saturday, stays in California to play Cal State-Stanislaus in a Tuesday twinbill. Whitman's scheduled doubleheader Sunday against Cal State-Hayward was rained out.
The Missionaries were poised for victory in Monday's first game after scoring a run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead. David Fee singled, took second on Blake Fisher's sacrifice bunt, and then scored the go-ahead run on Ryan Nelson's RBI-double.
Whitman's bullpen failed to hold in the bottom of the seventh inning, however. After a lead-off single and two bunts loaded the bases, Pacific scored the tying run on an infield out. A one-out squeeze bunt then plated the winning run.
Mark Hinshaw, a junior transfer, started on the mound for the Missionaries and hurled a strong five innings, scattering six hits and striking out five.
Nelson doubled and scored Whitman's first run in the first frame. Kyle Carothers drove Nelson home with a two-out double.
The Missionaries scored their second run in the third inning. Fisher singled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and error, and then scored on Nelson's sacrifice fly to center.
Nelson continued his hot hitting in the second game, ripping a three-run home run and his third double of the day. Carothers also blasted a three-run homer in the nightcap.
Whitman held a 6-5 lead after four innings of the second game, but Pacific exploded for 11 runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good. The Boxer outburst included five hits, including a grand-slam home run.
California State University-Stanislaus struck for five first-inning runs and rode that outburst to a 7-1 victory over Whitman Tuesday afternoon in Turlock, Calif. Because of inclement weather, the two teams played one nine-inning game instead of the two seven-inning contests originally scheduled.
The Missionaries ended their brief California swing with an 1-3 record. They beat NCAA Div. 1 Chicago State on Saturday, had two games against Cal State-Hayward rained out on Sunday, and then let a pair of leads slip away in losing two games to Pacific on Monday.
Whitman's failure to turn an inning-ending double play contributed to the Cal State-Stanislaus outburst in the first inning. The NCAA Div. II Warriors scored three of those five runs after the Missionaries failed to turn what could have been an inning-ending double play.
Whitman scored its only run in the top of the first. Blake Fisher singled, took second on Matt Brewer's sacrifice bunt, and scored on an Adam Zaitz line-drive single.
Fisher had two of Whitman's five hits on the day. Ryan Nelson walked twice and added a single. The Missionaries collected 10 walks in all and an 11th batter was hit by a pitch. Whitman left 11 runners stranded.
Other than the first inning, Whitman starter Andy Tillo and two relievers surrendered little to the Warriors. Nelson pitched the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, giving up just two hits. Jack Brink hurled a hitless eighth inning, striking out two.
Whitman opens its Northwest Conference this weekend at Borleske Stadium with a three-game series against Linfield College. Saturday's twinbill begins at 1 p.m. A noon game is set for Sunday.
After watching his team get outmuscled in the first game of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader, Whitman's Ryan Toivola pitched nine innings of brilliant baseball in the nightcap to lead Whitman to a 5-3 Northwest Conference victory over the Linfield Wildcats at Borleske Stadium. Linfield won the first game, 14-4, in seven innings.
The split gives Whitman a 2-7 overall record heading into Sunday's noon contest with the Wildcats. Linfield now stands at 4-3 on the season. The doubleheader was the opening conference action for both teams.
Linfield struck early in the first game, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings. Whitman countered with a run in the first and two in the second.
Junior rightfielder Kyle Carothers was involved in all three of Whitman's runs. He scored in the first on a Danny Richards single, and drove in the two in the second on a single of his own. Carothers finished the game with three of the ten Missionary hits. Ryan Nelson had two hits in the contest.
In the second game, Toivola pitched with a purpose from the get-go. He retired the first two batters on consecutive pitches and finished the inning having thrown only six, including five strikes. He went on to retire the side in the second, and sat down nine of the first ten batters he faced.
In the third, Whitman got on the board against Wildcat starter Rob Schlegel. Senior outfielder Travis Lovejoy singled with one out to get things underway. Sophomore infielder Blake Fisher followed with a single of his own, putting runners at first and second, and setting the table for Matt Brewer. After working the count full, Brewer lined a pitch to the left-centerfield wall, scoring both runners and picking up his second hit of the game.
Linfield scored one in the fifth to break up the potential shutout, but Whitman quickly answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame. Designated hitter Josh McCall led off with a double to the leftfield wall and then was lifted for pinch runner Jon Keefer. Lovejoy sacrificed Keefer to third, before the sophomore scored on a wild pitch.
Linfield tied it in the sixth with two more runs on a two-out double by Grant Rogers. Both teams were quiet in the seventh, Schlegel's last inning of duty. He finished his day by allowing three runs, all earned, on eight hits and four walks. He struck out four Missionaries.
Linfield threatened in the eighth, but Toivola left the lead-off man standing on second to end the inning. In the Whitman half of the frame, Adam Zaitz took Luke Bucheit's first pitch in the small of the back, and Richards bunted Zaitz to second. Andy Tillo followed with a free pass, putting runners at first and second with one out.
David Fee came on to pinch-hit for Keefer and hit a hard grounder to the shortstop. The ball bounced through into left field, as Zaitz scored on the play. Then with runners on the corners, Lovejoy delivered his second hit of the game to round out the Missionary scoring as Tillo crossed home plate.
In the ninth, Toivola allowed a one-out walk before retiring the side, striking out Greg Roberts to end the game. Winning his second game of the season, Toivola allowed three earned runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out six Wildcat batters. It was the longest outing of the southpaw's collegiate career.
Lovejoy finished two-for-three with a run and an RBI. Brewer went three-for-five with a pair of RBI, and Blake Fisher was two-of-four with a run scored. Whitman had nine hits in the game.
Despite seven solid innings from Missionary starter Matt Brewer, Whitman dropped a 10-4 Northwest Conference baseball game Sunday afternoon to Linfield College at Borleske Stadium. The loss leaves Whitman at 1-2 in the NWC, 2-7 overall. Linfield is now 5-3 overall, 2-1 in the NWC.
Linfield got on the board early, opening the game with a lead-off triple and four consecutive hits before the Wildcat luck ran out when Whitman left fielder Travis Lovejoy made a diving play in left-center field, robbing a would-be extra base hit and doubling off a Wildcat runner before Brewer retired the next batter on strikes to escape the damage.
Brewer then pitched six scoreless innings of baseball through the seventh. Meanwhile, Whitman got busy with the bats. In the fourth, Blake Fisher singled, stole second and scored on a two-out Ryan Nelson double, pulling the Missionaries within two, at 3-1.
Then in the sixth, it was more of the same, as Fisher reached on an error, was sacrificed to second on a Brewer bunt, and scored on a Nelson hit, this time a single. Adam Zaitz followed with an RBI-single to score Kyle Carothers, who had reached on a base on balls, and Danny Richards followed with an RBI-single of his own to score Nelson, giving Whitman a 4-3 lead entering the seventh.
Brewer began to wear down in the eight. After retiring the lead-off batter on a fly ball Nelson tracked down just in front of 412-ft sign in center, Brewer loaded the bases on a pair of bloop-singles and a walk, then allowed a double on a two-strike pitch before giving way to the bullpen, trailing 5-4 with one out. Before Linfield was done, seven Wildcats would score in the inning.
Brewer ended the day having thrown 7.1 innings, striking out five Linfield batters along the way.
Whitman managed seven hits in the game, two each for Nelson and Zaitz.
The Missionaries are scheduled to travel to Spokane Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18, to take on the Whitworth College Pirates in a three-game set next weekend. Due to lingering snow in Spokane, the games may be moved to Walla Walla. That decision should be made no later than Wednesday, March 14.
Rebounding from a tough 3-2 opening game loss, Whitman bounced back to club Whitworth 8-3 in the nightcap of Saturday's Northwest Conference twinbill in Spokane. Weather permitting, the two teams will complete their three-game set Sunday afternoon.
Playing its first NWC game of the season, Whitworth won the opener when Marquest Molett led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-winning home run to left field.
Whitman's Mark Hinshaw absorbed the loss despite holding the Pirates to just five hits over eight-plus innings. Two of those hits came in the third inning when a single and Scott Biglin's home run to left-center field staked Whitworth to a 2-0 lead.
The Missionaries knotted the score at 2-2 in the sixth inning. After Travis Lovejoy and Blake Fisher walked and moved up a base on Matt Brewer's sacrifice bunt, Kyle Carothers rapped a two-run single to center.
After collecting just four hits in the first game, Whitman started game two with four straight hits to score three runs. Fisher and Matt Brewer led off with doubles to account for one run, and Carothers followed with a run-scoring single. Carothers took second based on an errant pickoff throw and scored on Ryan Nelson's single.
The Missionaries extended their lead to 4-0 in the second frame when Fisher was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Brewer's single.
Whitman added two more runs in the third. After Adam Zaitz and Danny Richards singled, Josh McCall was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Travis Lovejoy, who stroked a two-run single to left.
With Zaitz providing the firepower, the Missionaries tacked on single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Zaitz ripped a lead-off triple in the fifth and scored on Andy Tillo's sacrifice fly. Zaitz then kicked off the seventh inning with a home run to left-center field.
Both Zaitz and Brewer had three hits in the second game. Carothers added two safeties to Whitman's 13-hit attack.
While the Missionary bats were coming alive, Ryan Toivola held Whitworth's offense in check to post his second consecutive complete game victory. Toivola scattered 10 hits over nine innings but didn't walk a single batter. He also benefited from a tight defense, which committed just one error. The Missionaries had no errors in the first game.
Scoring in each of the first five innings Friday afternoon, the University of Puget Sound baseball team used an 18-hit attack to down Whitman, 15-4, in Northwest Conference action in Tacoma.
The Missionaries used up six different pitchers in attempting to contain the first-place Loggers, but the UPS bats proved too much, as the Loggers put up nine runs before Whitman countered with its first runs of the day in the fifth, making the score 9-2.
Puget Sound answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame, as the outcome was never in doubt. Whitman starter Mark Hinshaw took the loss, pitching into the second before giving way to the Missionary bullpen.
For Whitman at the plate it was not all bad. The Missionaries pounded out eight hits, including four doubles, and managed seven walks, showing good discipline at the plate, but Whitman left 11 runners on base. Blake Fisher and Kyle Carothers had two hits apiece, and Travis Lovejoy scored twice. Fisher, Carothers, Lovejoy and Matt Brewer all doubled.
The Whitman College baseball team put it all together against the University of Puget Sound in a doubleheader sweep of the Loggers, 15-2, and 8-7, in Northwest Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon in Tacoma.
The pair of wins evens the Missionaries NWC record at 4-4, 5-10 overall. UPS dropped to 10-13 overall, 6-3 in the NWC. UPS was in first place at the start of the weekend.
Whitman combined offensive firepower and quality pitching to outmuscle the Loggers in the first game, as Ryan Toivola went the distance on the mound for Whitman, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out seven. He is now 4-1 on the season.
At the plate, junior Kyle Carothers led the offensive barrage. He was four-for-five on the day with a pair of two-run homers, his second and third of the season, as well as a double and a single. Carothers lined a pitch over the right-center field fence in the first, giving Whitman the early 2-0 lead, then went yard on a towering fly ball down the right field line in the third, staking the Missionaries to a 5-0 lead. Carothers had five RBI in the game.
Danny Richards hit a solo home run in the second, and was two-for-four at the plate, with three RBI and two runs scored. He also had six assists in the field.
Whitman scored in each of the first six innings, exploding for eight runs in the sixth, highlighted by senior Andy Tillo's grand slam home run. Eight of the nine Missionary batters had at least one hit in the 14-hit assault.
Blake Fisher finished with three hits and two runs. Adam Zaitz and Matt Brewer both doubled.
In the second game, Whitman needed a five-run rally and some clutch pitching out of the bullpen to secure the come-from-behind victory. Trailing 6-1 entering the seventh inning, the Missionary bats came alive.
Ryan Toivola was hit by a pitch and Jay Babbitt singled, to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Travis Lovejoy then singled down the left field line, scoring Toivola and moving Babbitt to third, while Lovejoy advanced to second on the throw to the plate.
After a strikeout and an infield pop-out, Kyle Carothers then hit a screaming ground ball to the right of the first baseman. The ball caromed off the glove of the fielder, scoring Babbitt and Lovejoy, as Carothers reached on the error, putting the Missionaries only two runs back at 4-6. Ryan Nelson then homered to left field, scoring Carothers and knotting the score at six-all, before Zaitz grounded out to end the inning.
Each team scored a run in the eighth, then Whitman put up the decisive eighth run in the ninth, while Jeremy Bishop stifled the Logger bats to earn the victory.
Bishop pitched four solid innings in relief of Whitman starter Matt Brewer, scattering four hits and a walk, allowing only the one run in the eighth, while striking out two.
Whitman managed nine hits in the game, as Lovejoy finished a perfect four-for-four with two RBI and a run scored.
Biding its time with a weekend off from Northwest Conference action, the Whitman College baseball team dropped a nine inning, 9-8, decision to the Central Washington University Wildcats (CWU) in Ellensburg Thursday afternoon.
The loss drops the Missionaries to 5-11 on the season, while CWU now stands at 13-9 on the year. The two teams will play a doubleheader in Walla Walla, Tuesday, April 3. Both games will be seven innings with the first game scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m.
Whitman scored first Thursday, jumping on the Wildcats for a run in each of the first four innings, then scoring two apiece in the fifth and sixth, before CWU finally calmed the storm, holding Whitman scoreless in its final three frames.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats mounted an assault of its own off Missionary starter Mark Hinshaw. CWU struck for a pair of runs in the second, then took an 8-4 lead into fifth, as the Wildcats bats chased Hinshaw in the fourth. After Whitman tied the game in the sixth at 8-all, Central went on to score the go-ahead run in the eighth off Missionary reliever Andy Tillo.
Out of the bullpen, Tillo pitched 4.1 innings, allowing only the one run on four hits and two walks, while striking out two.
For the Missionaries, Kyle Carothers led a 13-hit attack, going three-for-five at the plate, with a run scored. Matt Brewer, Blake Fisher, Adam Zaitz and Ryan Toivola all had two hits apiece. Zaitz connected for a two-run home run to right field in the fifth, his second dinger of the season. Fisher doubled and had two RBI.
The two teams managed 23 hits in the game, and combined to leave 27 runners on base, 13 of them Missionaries. CWU is a member of both the NCAA Division II, as well as the NAIA. Next year the Wildcats will be affiliated with the NCAA only.
The Whitman baseball team battled back from a pair of three-run home runs in a nine inning game against Central Washington University, but the Wildcats prevailed, 8-7, downing the Missionaries Wednesday night at Borleske Stadium.
The loss drops Whitman to 5-12 overall heading into a three-game weekend series with Northwest Conference opponent Lewis & Clark. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. at Borleske, while Sunday's game is scheduled to start at noon.
Wednesday, CWU opened the game with a three-run blast in the first that just cleared the left field fence, then the Wildcats broke open the game with another three-run shot in the second, this time to right. Whitman managed a rally of its own in the second, batting around and scoring five runs in the inning before Central was able to put out the fire.
The Wildcats would score twice more, while Whitman was held in check scoring only once more in the game. Whitman used nine different pitchers in the game, one each inning.
The Whitman College baseball team split a pair of Northwest Conference decisions against Lewis & Clark College Saturday afternoon at a blistering cold Borleske Stadium. The Pioneers took the first game, 2-1, before the Missionary bats responded in the second game, as Whitman outlasted Lewis & Clark, 15-11.
On a cold, wet day, Ryan Toivola allowed just two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out four in the complete-game loss for Whitman in the first game. Now 4-2 on the year, Toivola has been the victim of poor run support in each of his two losses.
At the plate, the Missionaries managed just five hits in the first game, two by left fielder Travis Lovejoy, who also stole a base. Matt Brewer scored Whitman’s only run in the fourth on an Adam Zaitz sacrifice fly.
The Pioneers scored all the runs it would need early in the ballgame, with a run in the second, and another in the third. Whitman had a chance to tie the game in the fifth: with Lovejoy on third and one out, Brewer laid down a bunt, but Lovejoy was thrown out at the plate by the pitcher.
In the second game, the Missionaries came alive in a hurry with a run in the first and an eight-run second, taking a commanding 9-1 lead into the third. The Pioneers would fight back with three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth, pulling within three, at 9-6. Whitman then put the game out of reach with four runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth. Lewis & Clark scored four in the ninth to make it interesting.
Kyle Carothers had three hits and five RBI for Whitman in the game, including a bases loaded triple in the eight-run second. Brewer and Lovejoy each had two hits apiece, as did David Fee and Ryan Toivola. Toivola and Lovejoy each doubled, and Lovejoy also had two more stolen bases in the game.
In the eighth, Adam Zaitz led off the Missionary half of the inning with a towering home run to left field, hitting a tree beyond the fence.
Andy Tillo pitched 4.1 solid innings of relief for Whitman, picking up his first collegiate victory. Tillo allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four.
The two teams combined to leave 28 runners on base in the second game, 11 of them Missionaries. The teams wrap up the season series Sunday in a 12 p.m. game at Borleske Stadium.
Matt Brewer tossed nine strong innings and Danny Richards ripped five hits as Whitman closed out its weekend with a 12-3 rout of Lewis & Clark Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
Brewer fanned 11, scattered six hits, and didn't yield a run until Lewis & Clark's No. 9 hitter, Chris Masagatani, smacked a solo home run with one out in the sixth inning. Brewer, a hard-throwing junior right-hander, struck out five in the first three innings, and the Pioneers managed just two baserunners over the first four frames. One reached on a single and one on a Whitman throwing error, but both runners were thrown out by Missionary catcher Adam Zaitz as they attempted to steal second base.
Whitman took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Carothers walked and scored when Lewis & Clark turned a bases-loaded double play. The Missionaries added four more runs in the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles by David Fee and Travis Lovejoy, followed by a Brewer walk, set the stage. After Carothers forced home one run by drawing another walk, Zaitz made it 3-0 with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to left. Richards and Ryan Toivola continued the assault with run-scoring singles.
Lewis & Clark stayed in the hunt, closing to within 5-3, by scoring two runs in the top of the seventh. The Pioneers had three of their six hits, and their only base on balls of the game, in that inning.
Whitman's offense, which abused four Pioneer pitchers for 16 hits and nine walks, pulled away with four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth.
Richards, whose five hits included a run-scoring double in the seventh, scored two runs of his own. Carothers, Toivola and Blake Fisher each had two hits. Toivola and Zaitz knocked in two runs each.
Carothers knocked in three runs, scored three times, and collected two walks. In the three-game weekend series, Carothers had six hits in 10 official at-bats, eight RBI, four runs scored and four walks. He leads the Missionaries in both batting average (.409) and RBI (25), and he shares the team lead in home runs (three) with Zaitz.
Brewer also helped himself at the plate, collecting one hit in three trips while walking twice and scoring two runs. The Missionaries got at least one hit from every spot in their line-up.
Whitman improved to 6-5 in Northwest Conference play and 7-13 on the season.
Willamette clinched its sixth consecutive 20-win season with a 9-2 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Whitman Friday afternoon in Salem, Ore.
In third place to start the weekend, the Bearcats improved to 20-9 on the season and 11-5 in conference with Friday's nine-inning victory over the Missionaries. Fourth-place Whitman dropped to 6-6 in conference and 7-14 overall.
Weather permitting, the two teams will complete their season series with a Saturday twinbill, starting at noon.
Hitting well over .300 as a team, Willamette used four hits to score three runs in Friday's first inning. Whitman got one of those runs back in the top of the second inning when Adam Zaitz cracked his team-leading fourth home run of the season.
The Bearcats extended their lead to 6-1 with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth frame. Whitman added their second run in the top of the fifth when Andy Tillo singled, took second base on a wild pitch and scored on David Fee's single to left field.
Zaitz and shortstop Matt Brewer finished with two hits each for the Missionaries. Brewer also drew a base on balls.
Willamette vaulted into first place in the Northwest Conference on Saturday by sweeping a pair of games from Whitman in Salem, Ore. The Bearcats won the opener 4-0 in seven innings and outslugged the Missionaries 14-6 over nine innings in the nightcap.
At 13-5 in the NWC, Willamette moved a half-game ahead of second-place Whitworth and its 10-3 conference mark. Whitman dropped to 6-8 in the conference and 7-16 on the season.
Whitman's Matt Brewer went the distance on the mound in Saturday's first game, scattering eight hits and giving up just three earned runs. Willamette's Nick Lubisich, however, held the Missionary bats scoreless, surrendering just five hits while striking out 11.
Willamette notched its first run in the second inning on a walk, sacrifice bunt, infield hit and sacrifice fly. The Bearcats tallied a second run that inning on a Whitman throwing error.
Lubisich gave himself some breathing room when he doubled home a third Willamette run in the sixth inning. He scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore Ryan Nelson had a good day at the plate for the Missionaries, swatting a pair of doubles in his three trips to the plate. Danny Richards, also a sophomore, had two singles for Whitman.
In Saturday's game two, Whitman fell behind 3-0 but then took full advantage of some sloppy Willamette play to score five runs in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Adam Zaitz singled and took second on a botched pick-off attempt. After Richards was awarded first base on catcher's interference, Ryan Toivola struck out swinging for what should have been the inning's third out. But when the third strike eluded the catcher, Toivola reached first to load the bases. Whitman's next batter, designated hitter Josh McCall, was hit by a pitch to force home one run. Left-fielder Travis Lovejoy then clubbed his first home run, a grand slam, to give the Missionaries a 5-3 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however. Willamette tied at the game a 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs on a triple, sacrifice fly, stolen base and two singles.
The Bearcats then broke the game open with five runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth. Whitman scored its last run in the eighth when Richards singled and scored on McCall's double.
The Whitman College baseball team dropped a non-conference nine inning contest to the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors, 17-3, Tuesday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The loss leaves the Missionaries at 7-17 on the season, while LCSC, a member of the NAIA and a perennial national power, improved to 37-10.
The Warriors got on the board first with a solo home run in the first inning and never looked back, as LCSC would never trail in the game.
In the third inning, trailing 4-0, the Missionaries rallied for three runs, cutting the deficit to only a run entering the fourth frame. Danny Richards reached base on a walk, moved up to second on an errant throw then proceeded to score on Blake Fisher's one-out RBI single to give the Missionaries its first run. Kyle Carothers then doubled, and Ryan Nelson followed with a double off the left-center field wall, scoring both Carothers and Fisher for the rest of the Missionary output.
Carothers had two hits in the game, both doubles, as did Fisher. The Warrior pitching staff held the Missionaries to just six hits in the game.
Whitman hosts Pacific Lutheran in a three-game Northwest Conference series this weekend. Saturday the two teams square off in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday's nine inning game is scheduled to start at noon. The Lutes are 10-18 overall, 5-11 in the NWC after a Tuesday night loss at Lewis & Clark.
The Whitman College baseball team salvaged a second-game victory of a doubleheader against the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes, 12-11, in ten innings Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. After dropping the first game, 6-3, thanks to some sloppy defense and not enough offense, Whitman came back late in Game two with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
Jeremy Bishop held the Lutes scoreless in the top half of the tenth and earned the victory in relief. Blake Fisher led off the Missionary tenth with a single then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Brewer. After a four-pitch, intentional walk to Kyle Carothers, Ryan Nelson followed with a single to left for the game-winning RBI, scoring Fisher from second.
Whitman jumped ahead early in the second game, plating four runs in the first, and another in the second, but poor defense and some Lute hitting haunted Whitman throughout much of the day, as PLU rallied for seven runs in the third, chasing Missionary starter Ryan Toivola. The Lutes led 8-6 after three innings and never trailed again until the winning run was plated.
In the ninth, trailing 11-8, Whitman looked headed for disaster, aseach of the first two batters were retired before the Whitman bats came alive. Ryan Nelson doubled and Adam Zaitz singled him in. Danny Richards followed with a bloop single to right, putting the tying run at first base. Jon Keefer pinch ran for Richards, while Josh McCall came in to pinch-hit in the pitcher's spot. McCall was hit by the first pitch, loading the bases for David Fee. Fee singled up the middle, scoring both Zaitz and the speedy Keefer from second base, knotting the game at 11-all. The Lutes managed to retire the final out of the inning but were overmatched in the tenth.
Fee finished 2-for-3 at the plate, with three RBI and a walk. Carothers finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Carothers hit the first pitch off Lute starter Brian Farman well over the right centerfield fence, nearly leaving the stadium altogether.
As a team, Whitman combined for 15 hits off three Lute pitchers, two each from Fisher, Brewer, Nelson and Richards. Andy Tillo pitched 5.2 innings in relief for Whitman, allowing only two earned runs.
In the first game, Whitman led early, as well. Jumping on the boards for a run in the second and two more in the fourth, the Missionaries led 3-1 entering the fifth. In the Lute half of the fifth, PLU took full advantage of a pair of Missionary miscues, scoring five times in the frame to chase Whitman starter Mark Hinshaw. Tillo came on in relief of Hinshaw, shutting the door for 2.2 scoreless innings of work, but the Whitman bats would not come alive.
Whitman managed only six hits in the game, and only one for extra bases, a two-RBI triple by Blake Fisher in the fourth.
Tillo's combined stats for the doubleheader: 8.1 IP, 8 Hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
The two teams finish up the season series Sunday at noon in a single nine-inning game at Borleske Stadium.
The Whitman College baseball team dropped the final game of a three-game series with Pacific Lutheran University, 16-6, Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The loss leaves Whitman at 8-19 overall, 7-10 in the Northwest Conference, while PLU ups its season record to 12-19, 7-12 in the NWC.
Once again, the Missionaries made too many mistakes in the field, falling behind 10-0 after two innings thanks to a number of miscues on defense. Whitman scored three runs in the third, two in the seventh and one in the eighth for the only Missionary scoring of the day.
Adam Zaitz finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. He was the only Missionary with more than one hit; Whitman managed eight hits in the game. Zaitz, Ryan Toivola, Ryan Nelson and Andy Tillo all doubled.
Pitching in relief of Missionary starter Matt Brewer, Nat Sampson pitched three scoreless innings to end the game. Sampson allowed only three hits while striking out two and walking none.
Whitman closes out the home season Saturday and Sunday, April 28th and 29th, with three games against Pacific University at Borleske Stadium. The fifth-place Boxers are two games ahead of Whitman in the NWC standings.
Scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a come-from-behind, 4-3, victory in the first game, the Whitman College baseball team split a doubleheader with Pacific University, dropping the second game, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
In game one, Pacific scored first off Missionary starter Mark Hinshaw, managing one run in each of the final three innings, two off Hinshaw and one off reliever Jeremy Bishop to take a 3-0 lead into the bottom half of the seventh and final frame.
To that point, Boxer starter, Dustin Bare had been cruising, carrying a no-hitter 6.1 innings before allowing a one-out double by Ryan Nelson to the centerfield wall. Adam Zaitz followed with a grounder to short that was thrown into the dirt, allowing Zaitz to reach on the error. Danny Richards followed with a first-pitch single into right, scoring Nelson for the Missionaries first run, with Zaitz advancing to second on the hit.
After a strikeout, Whitman’s next two batters both walked, Andy Tillo to load the bases and Travis Lovejoy to force in a run, before Bare was lifted with two outs and the bases loaded, Boxers still leading 3-2.
Blake Fisher then greeted Boxer reliever Derek Akimoto with a two-out infield hit to second base, as Keefer, who pinch-ran for Richards, and Tillo both scored, giving the Missionaries the 4-3 victory.
All three of Whitman’s hits came in the seventh inning. Bishop picked up his third victory of the season in 1.2 innings of relief. Hinshaw pitched well in the no-decision, allowing only the two runs, both earned, while giving up six hits, walking two and striking out six.
In the second game, Pacific got the bats going early off Missionary starter Ryan Toivola. Matt Lengwenus hit a two-run home run in the first, as the Boxers never looked back, scoring again in the second and striking for two more in the third, before Whitman scored one in the bottom of the third inning.
Toivola would eventually settle down, retiring 18 of his final 22 batters, in going the distance on the mound for Whitman. The junior southpaw allowed five runs on 11 hits and no walks, while striking out three.
Tillo started the third with a single and moved to second on a balk before scoring on a Travis Lovejoy single, pulling the Missionaries within four. Tillo and the Missionaries appeared to have two more runs in the fifth, still trailing by four. With Zaitz on first after a lead-off single to open the inning, Tillo hit a drive down the leftfield line, well over the fence for an apparent two-run drive. However, the home plate umpire ruled the ball foul and Tillo returned to the plate only to go down on strikes two pitches later.
Whitman struck for its final run in the eighth. Lovejoy singled and stole second to start the inning, and Kyle Carothers hit an RBI-double off the base of the left-centerfield wall to drive in the run.
Zaitz and Lovejoy each had two hits in the game, more than half of the seven Missionary hits in the scorebook.
On the day, Whitman banged out only ten hits in two games, though the Missionaries did manage seven free passes, as well.
The two teams finish the series noon Sunday at Borleske in a nine-inning affair.
After taking an early lead, the Whitman baseball team fell off the pace in Sunday’s rubber-match game against Pacific University, falling to the Boxers, 12-3 in nine innings at Borleske Stadium.
Whitman jumped on the bats early, striking for a run in the first, and another in the second, leading 2-1 after the two innings of play. Pacific rallied for a pair of runs in the third off Missionary starter Matt Brewer, but Whitman answered in the sixth, knotting the game at 3-all.
In the seventh, Whitman stumbled, as the Boxers chased Brewer with a three-run inning, followed by six runs in the eighth, all but sealing the victory.
Bright spots for the Missionaries included a solid day at the plate for Kyle Carothers, who doubled and singled, going two-for-four on the day with a run scored. Carothers’ double was a drive to left-centerfield that skipped over the wall, good for an automatic two-bagger. Blake Fisher, Adam Zaitz and Danny Richards each had two hits apiece, as well. Those four batters combined for all eight Missionary hits in the game.
Pitching in relief, Nat Sampson finished the game on the hill for Whitman. He hurled 1.2 innings of perfect baseball, striking out one.
Whitman enters its final weekend of play at 9-21 overall, 8-12 in the Northwest Conference, good enough for sixth place in the NWC. Pacific stands pat in fifth place at 10-11 NWC, 16-20 overall.
The Missionaries close out the season Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.
Ryan Toivola hurled nine strong innings and Blake Fisher singled in what proved to be the game-winning run as Whitman earned a 3-2 victory in the second game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader Saturday at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore. The host Bruins won the opener 4-2 in seven innings.
The split left Whitman with a 9-13 NWC record, good enough for sixth place in the conference standings. The Missionaries trail fifth-place Pacific by one game in the loss column.
Meanwhile, George Fox is 14-9 in conference play, just a game behind third-place Linfield.
Whitman and George Fox conclude their seasons Sunday with a twinbill, starting at 10 a.m. Only the first game will count in the conference standings.
By splitting Saturday's games, the Missionaries exceeded last year's conference victory total by one. Nine victories in NWC play, in fact, is the most Whitman has posted in several seasons.
In raising his pitching record to 5-4, Toivola scattered seven hits over nine innings while striking out seven. He didn't walk a batter, and only one of the runs he allowed George Fox was earned.
The Bruins threatened in each of the first three innings, however. Travis Maffy led off the bottom of the first with a triple, but Toivola stranded him there, retiring the side on a grounder to third base and two strikeouts.
Whitman then grabbed the lead with two runs in the top of the second. After Adam Zaitz singled and Ryan Nelson reached on an infield error, Matt Brewer's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Josh McCall's groundout scored one run, and a passed ball gave the Missionaries their second run.
In the bottom of the second inning, Greg Dombek ripped a one-out double for the Bruins. Toivola again held tough, getting the next two outs on an infield pop fly and grounder to second.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, George Fox again failed to capitalize on a two-base hit. Toivola shut the door with another groundball to second.
The Bruins broke through for an unearned run in the fifth frame. The run scored after a two-out infield error by the Missionaries.
A George Fox fielding error in the top of the seventh inning helped Whitman extend its lead to 3-1. Zaitz reached on an error to open the inning and then scooted to third base on Nelson's single. After a groundout, McCall was walked intentionally to load the bases. Fisher, pinch-hitting, then singled to score what proved to be the game's decisive run.
Mitch Sheppler tripled to open the George Fox seventh and later scored on an infield out, pulled the Bruins to within 3-2 on the scoreboard.
Eric Bell led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to put the Bruins back in scoring position. After a sacrifice bunt moved Bell to third base, Toivola fanned the next hitter and then ended the inning with a flyball out.
Toivola made quick work of George Fox in the bottom of the ninth, getting the first two outs on infield pop flies before nailing down the victory with a strikeout.
In Saturday's first game, the Bruins scored single runs in each of the first four innings to take control.
The Missionaries tallied an unearned run in the fifth. Ari Stiassny reached on an infield error, took second and third on an infield out and passed ball, and then scored on a wild pitch.
Kyle Carothers walked and Zaitz singled to set the stage for Whitman's second run in the sixth inning. After Matt Brewer singled in one run, pinch-hitter Andy Tillo took a base on balls to load the bases with two outs. Whitman's next hitter fanned, however, ending the threat.
Still trailing 4-2, the Missionaries threatened again in the seventh. David Fee singled and moved up a base when Carothers was hit by a pitch with one out. A flyball to left field and an infield pop fly, however, left the game-tying runners stranded.
Jeremy Bishop hurled the last four-plus innings for Whitman, holding the Bruins to two runs on five hits.
Facing some tough pitching on the final day of the season, Whitman dropped a pair of games at George Fox University Sunday in Newberg, Ore. With lefty Damon Lorenz twirling a four-hit shutout, the Bruins took the opener 8-0 in nine innings. Side-arming righthander Logan Evjen then no-hit the Missionaries for five innings as George Fox posted a 9-3 victory in the seven-inning second game.
Whitman ended it season with a 9-14 mark in the Northwest Conference, while George Fox finished at 15-9. One of Whitman's NWC games earlier this season at Whitworth was canceled due to poor weather.
Hitting leadoff, sophomore Blake Fisher had two of Whitman's four singles in Sunday's first game. With the victory, Lorenz improved to 6-2 on the season. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four.
The Bruins scored all eight of their first-game runs in the first four innings. Senior Jack Brink threw hitless ball for the last three innings for the Missionaries, striking out six.
George Fox also jumped in front at the start of game two, scoring six runs in the first frame and adding two more tallies in the second. Meanwhile, over the first five innings, Whitman managed just three base runners, two of which came courtesy of Bruin errors. Travis Lovejoy also reached on base on balls to lead off the fifth inning.
Evjen's bid for a no-hitter came to a close in the sixth inning. Whitman's Ari Stiassny led off with a double and moved to third on Jon Keefer's single to center field. With one out, Adam Zaitz singled in the first Missionary run of the day. After Josh McCall reached first base on catcher's interference, loading the bases, Lovejoy singled in a second Whitman run.
Lovejoy's hit chased Evjen from the game, but reliever Mike Beck fanned his first batter to give the Bruins two outs. Whitman's Jay Babbitt then worked Beck for a walk, forcing home another run, cutting George Fox's lead to 8-3. A flyball to left field ended the Missionary threat.
After the Bruins scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth, Whitman threatened again in the seventh when Stiassny and Keefer stroked singles. With one out, however, Zaitz lined in a double play to end the game.