Five errors in the field, coupled with seven walks and four hit batters, spelled disaster for Whitman as the Missionaries opened their spring baseball season with a 16-12 loss to Lewis & Clark College in seven innings Thursday night in Chandler, Arizona.
Whitman and Lewis & Clark are among seven Northwest Conference schools kicking off their seasons this week at the Snedigar Sportsplex, a 70-acre complex on the south side of Phoenix. Other small colleges from around the country are also in Chandler to start the season.
The Missionaries jumped in front 4-0 in Thurswhen senior Bobby Jones ripped a grand-slam home run in the top of the third inning. After Lewis & Clark knotted the the score 4-4 in the bottom of the inning, Whitman regained command with six runs in the top of the fourth.
While fielding and pitching woes continued to plague Whitman, the Missionaries held leads of 10-7 and 12-7 before the Pioneers scored four times in the bottom of the fifth frame to cut their deficit to 12-11. Lewis & Clark added five more run in the bottom of the six to complete its comeback.
In addition to his grand slam, Jones crushed a triple and finished with six RBI and two runs scored. Jones was also robbed of a third extra-base hit when Lewis & Clark's left fielder made a diving catch in one of his at-bats.
Whitman's Blake Fisher came within a foot or two of a home run when his shot down the left-field line bounced off the top of the fence. Fisher settled for a double and had two RBI.
Sean Kinney, Kyle Carothers, Adam Zaitz and Ryan Toivola also had hits for the Missionaries.
Whitman plays the second of its four Arizona games at 1 p.m. Friday against Nebraska's Hastings College.
Senior David Fee rapped a two-run triple and Ryan Toivola scattered nine hits over seven innings as Whitman evened its early-season baseball record at 1-1 with a 7-4 victory over Nebraska's Hastings College Friday afternoon in Chandler, Ariz.
Earlier on Friday, Hastings downed George Fox, one of Whitman's Northwest Conference rivals, by a 6-2 count.
A five-run third inning, highlighted by Fee's three-bagger, was the key to Whitman's victory. The Missionaries tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth frames in support of Toivola, a senior lefty who fanned three and walked just two. Fee added a third RBI on a groundout.
Whitman's offense collected eight hits, two by senior designated hitter Jay Babbitt, and drew seven walks, one by Babbitt and three by second baseman Danny Richards, who came around to score a pair of runs. Senior Kyle Carothers, hitting in the No. 3 spot, reached base three times, once with a single and twice when hit by pitches.
After committing five errors in Thursday's 16-12 loss to Lewis & Clark, Whitman played mistake-free defense on Friday. The Missionaries turned one double play.
Each of Whitman's first five batters nicked Hastings, an NAIA school, for one hit apiece. Clean-up hitter Bobby Jones, who belted a home run and triple in Thursday's game, walked twice and singled. Ryan Nelson stroked a run-scoring single, and Adam Zaitz knocked in a run with a groundout. Blake Fisher and freshman Sean Kinney also had hits for the Missionaries, and Fisher and Babbitt each swiped a base.
Toivola allowed Hastings just one run over the first five innings. The Broncos added two runs in the top of the sixth and a single run in the seventh.
Whitman is one of several small college baseball teams opening their seasons this week with a series of games at Chandler's Snedegar Sportsplex.
Erik Yamamoto, a junior right-hander, shut out Whitman on one hit through seven innings as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) squeezed past the Missionaries 4-0 Saturday morning at the Snedegar Sportsplex in Chandler, Ariz.
Yamamoto struck out four and walked just two batters in game that took just 90 minutes to play.
Matt Brewer, Whitman's hard-throwing senior right-hander, was almost as dominant, scattering eight hits while fanning four. CMS scratched out three runs in the top of the first inning after loading the bases on an infield hit, base on balls and hit-batter. Ryan Waggoner then cleared the bases for the Stags by poking a ground ball down the first-base line into the right-field corner.
CMS added its fourth run in the fifth inning when catcher Chad Sakumoto lofted a home run over the left-field foul pole.
Blake Fisher singled up the middle for Whitman's only hit of the game.
The loss dropped Whitman to 1-2 during its season-opening series of games in Arizona. The Missionaries play California's Menlo College at 2 p.m. Sunday before heading home.
CMS, a joint athletic program involving the Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd and Scripps colleges in the Los Angeles area, saw its early-season baseball record rise to 2-3.
Casey Gray tossed six innings of no-hit ball to spark Menlo College to a 7-2 victory over the Whitman baseball team Sunday afternoon at the Snedegar Sportsplex in Chandler, Ariz.
Trailing 7-0, the Missionaries stroked their only three hits in the top of the seventh inning to score their two runs. Senior Kyle Carothers crushed a long home run to right-center field to end Gray's bid of a no-hitter. Whitman's next hitter, Bobby Jones, doubled and later scored when freshman Spencer Fox singled in his first collegiate at-bat.
Four Whitman pitchers surrendered eight hits and five earned runs. After Jake Jensen pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the Missionaries, Jeremy Bishop did the same in the sixth.
Whitman completed its season-opening stint in Arizona with a 1-3 record. The Missionaries host their annual Kight Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 23-24, in Borleske Stadium.
Led by Pre-season All-American Matt Lengwenus the Pacific University Boxers downed the Whitman baseball team, 10-5, Saturday afternoon at a wet and rainy Borleske Stadium in the first game of the Kight Invitational.
Originally scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m., the two teams waited out a lengthy rain delay, before Lengwenus got things underway just after 3:30 with a two-run home run to right field in the top half of the first. The junior outfielder/designated hitter, finished his day two-for-three at the plate, with two runs, two RBI and two bases on balls.
Whitman managed three runs in its half of the second inning, giving the Missionaries a short lived 3-2 lead. Senior catcher Adam Zaitz hit a two-run single in the inning, scoring Blake Fisher and Bobby Jones. Junior second baseman Danny Richards also hit a run-scoring single in the inning.
Pacific countered with a seven-run fourth, to take the lead for good at 9-3, as the Boxers would weather two Missionary runs in the fifth, before scoring the final run of the game in the top half of the seventh for the final margin.
Whitman freshman left fielder Sean Kinney finished the day with a pair of hits, including a double to center field and an RBI. Senior right fielder David Fee added an RBI on a line-drive sacrifice fly to right in the fifth.
Whitman junior pitcher Jake Jensen worked three and one-third innings in relief, allowing just one run on two hits.
Derek Akimoto pitched four and one-third innings to register the win for the Boxers. He allowed five runs, all earned, on three hits and four walks, as well as two hit batters.
Weather permitting, Whitman scheduled to open the second and final day of the Kight Invitational Sunday morning at 9 a.m. versus Prairie Baseball Academy of Lethbridge, Alberta of Canada.
The Prairie Dawgs would then take on Pacific at the conclusion of the first game. The Boxers would finish the weekend against Central Washington University at an approximate 2 p.m. start time, before the Wildcats and Missionaries end the day in a 4 p.m. game. All games are scheduled to be played at Borleske Stadium.
Playing amid snow flurries, Matt Brewer and the Whitman baseball team shut out the Prairie Baseball Academy 4-0 in a Sunday morning exhibition game at Borleske Stadium.
The game was the second for both teams in Whitman's two-day Kight Invitational. Both teams lost games Saturday night in wet and rainy weather. Sunday morning greeted the teams with freezing temperatures punctuated by light snowfall.
Despite the weather, Brewer pitched a seven-inning gem. The senior right-hander allowed just three hits (including one drag bunt), three walks and a hit batter, while striking out eight Prairie Dawg batters.
The Whitman bats hit pay dirt in the first, courtesy of a tape-measure two-run home run off the bat of senior first baseman Kyle Carothers. Carothers hit a 2-0 fastball into the trees beyond the right field fence, scoring Blake Fisher on the drive.
The Missionaries added one more run in the second and another in the fifth, giving Brewer all the support he would need.
Whitman managed five hits in the game, including a double off the right field wall by freshman left fielder Sean Kinney. Kinney added an RBI sacrifice fly as well.
David Fee, Ryan Toivola and Adam Zaitz all singled, and Fee and Zaitz each had stolen bases for Whitman.
The Prairie Dawgs end the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon game versus Pacific University. Whitman rounds out the tournament with the final game of the day against Central Washington University. That game is slated to get underway at 6 p.m.
With the thermometer hovering near the freezing point, the Whitman baseball team used good defense and fine pitching to defeat Central Washington University 5-3 in the final game of the Kight Invitational Sunday night at Borleske Stadium.
Ryan Toivola pitched six solid innings for the Missionaries, picking up his second win in as many outings. The senior southpaw allowed just three runs, all earned, on ten hits and three walks, while striking out seven Wildcat batters.
Jeremy Bishop recorded the final three outs for his first save, retiring the first two batters he faced on strikes.
Central took its only lead of the game in the top half of the first, thanks to a run-scoring double. Whitman countered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Sean Kinney led off with a walk and moved to third on a Blake Fisher double down the left field line. With one out, senior Bobby Jones hit an RBI-groundout, scoring Kinney from third.
Whitman took the lead for good in the fourth. Jones led off with a single to center and moved to third on a defensive blunder. Ryan Nelson followed with an RBI-single to right field. After Adam Zaitz singled to put runners at first and second, Nelson scored on a fielders choice all the way from second.
The Missionaries scored two more runs in the fifth. Kinney walked and scored on a Kyle Carothers single, and Jones singled and scored on an error.
Jones was the only Missionary with two hits, finishing the game two-for-three with an RBI.
Whitman travels to Newberg, Ore., next weekend to compete in the Jugs Classic, hosted by George Fox University. The Missionaries open the tournament against the host team at 2:30 p.m., Friday, March 1.
A two-run first inning wasn't enough to sustain Whitman as the Missionaries dropped an 8-3, nine-inning decision to George Fox as the Jugs Spring Classic got underway Friday in Newberg, Ore.
The tournament, hosted by George Fox, continues through Sunday at various locations in the greater Portland and Salem areas. Whitman plays a tournament twinbill on Saturday afternoon at Western Baptist College in Salem, then finishes up with a single game Sunday at Lewis & Clark in Portland.
The Missionaries grabbed a 2-0 lead on Friday with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Blake Fisher doubled home one run and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Jones.
Whitman moved in front 3-1 when Kyle Carothers rocked a 425-foot solo home run to center field in the top of the third. The Bruins countered with six runs in the fourth inning, however, to seize the lead for good.
Carothers finished with three hits on the day, including a long single he ripped off the right field wall.
Adam Zaitz doubled for the Missionaries, while Ryan Nelson and freshmen Sean Kinney and Andrew Schultz added singles.
Whitman's David Fee started on the mound for Whitman and was relieved by Mark Hinshaw during the six-run Bruins uprising in the fourth. Hinshaw scattered five hits over the final four and two-thirds innings.
Strong pitching performances slipped by the wayside Saturday as Whitman dropped a pair of one-run games at Western Baptist College in Salem, Ore. The games were played as part of the Jugs Spring Classic, which is being hosted by George Fox University and taking through Sunday at various locations in the Portland and Salem areas.
After nabbing a 1-0 victory in the seven-inning opener, Western Baptist rallied for a 5-4 triumph in the nine-inning second game. The Warriors, an NAIA school, are 7-2 on the season.
Ryan Toivola was Whitman's hard-luck loser in game one. The senior lefty surrendered the game's only run in the bottom of the first inning on two singles, an error and wild pitch. Toivola allowed just one more single the rest of the way.
Whitman's offense also managed just three hits, singles by Blake Fisher, Bobby Jones and Jay Babbitt. The Missionaries collected four walks, but two Western Baptist doubleplays helped keep Whitman off the scoreboard.
Senior right-hander Matt Brewer kept Whitman in the nightcap until the Missionary bats finally came alive in the latter innings. Trailing 3-1 in the top of the eighth, Whitman loaded the bases and then cleared them with on a wild pitch and a two- run single by Jones.
Whitman's 4-3 lead was short-lived, however. The Warriors evened the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning on a triple and sacrifice fly.
After the Missionaries failed to score in the top of the ninth, Jeremy Bishop relieved Brewer on the mound and gave up the winning run on three singles, the game-winning blow coming with one out.
As a designated hitter, Toivola had two of Whitman's five hits in the second game. Ryan Nelson had a single and RBI for the Missionaries, while David Fee singled and scored a run. Sean Kinney and Kyle Carothers each drew a pair of walks.
Whitman plays its final game of the Jugs Spring Classic when it visits Lewis & Clark College in Portland at noon Sunday for a nine-inning single game.
More tough luck was waiting for Whitman on Sunday as the Missionaries dropped their third consecutive one-run game as the Jugs Spring Classic came to a close at various sites in western Oregon.
After losing both ends of a twinbill at Western Baptist on Saturday by single runs, Whitman skidded to a 5-4 loss at Lewis & Clark in Portland in Sunday's finale.
Lewis & Clark bunched three of its six hits to score four runs in the bottom of the first inning. The big blow was Chris Webb's grand slam home run.
Whitman collected 10 hits on the day -- three each by freshman Sean Kinney and senior Bobby Jones -- but also left 10 runners stranded on base.
With the Missionaries trailing 6-4, Whitman's Danny Richards doubled to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Richards was erased at third on a failed sacrifice bunt, but a double by David Fee and an intentional walk to Kinney loaded the bases. Blake Fisher's sacrifice fly cut Whitman's deficit to 6-5.
After Kinney and Fee advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, Kyle Carothers walked to reload the bases. A Lewis & Clark pitching change, however, helped the Pioneers escape the inning with their lead intact.
Ryan Nelson, who hurled the first five innings for Whitman, was relieved by Jeremy Bishop to start the sixth. Victimized by two infield errors, Bishop worked himself out of a two-on, one-out jam without allowing the Pioneers to score.
The Missionaries threatened again in the top of the seventh. Richards drew a base on balls with two outs and advanced to third base on Ryan Toivola's pinch-hit single. But Jayson Echternach, Lewis & Clark's fifth pitcher, got the final out on an infield groundball to nail down the victory for the Pioneers.
Both Kinney and Andrew Shultz, also a freshman, scored a pair of runs for Whitman. The two freshmen, both of whom played at Seattle's Blanchet High School, stroked doubles in the fourth inning to account for one Missionary run. Jones singled home two runs for Whitman in the third frame.
Whitman opened its Northwest Conference baseball season by splitting a double-header at Linfield's home field Saturday afternoon in McMinnville, Ore. The Missionaries won the opener 8-6 but then watched as the Wildcats rallied for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
Whitman, now 3-9 on the season, took the first game behind starting pitcher Ryan Nelson and three relievers. Nelson scattered seven hits over six and one-third innings, giving up just two runs, one of them earned. Jeremy Bishop nailed down his second save of the season, holding the Wildcats to two hits and no runs over the final two and one-third innings.
Linfield, picked in a preseason coach's poll to win this year's NWC title, is now 6-4 on the season. The Wildcats and Missionaries play the third game of their weekend set at noon on Sunday.
In game one, Whitman moved in front 4-1 after four innings and then added three big runs in the top of the fifth. Senior designated hitter Ryan Toivola opened the fifth with a single and later scored on another single by freshman Andrew Shultz. Then, with two outs, senior David Fee ripped his first home run of the season to extend Whitman's lead.
The Missionaries made it 8-1 in the top of the sixth when Blake Fisher singled, took second on an infield out and scored on a Bobby Jones single.
Nelson, a junior left-hander, fanned the first hitter he faced in the bottom of seventh before the next batter reached base on an infield hitter. Mark Hinshaw relieved Nelson at that point but had trouble finding the plate, issuing two walks and hitting a third batter. Whitman's next reliever, Jake Jensen, had the same trouble, walking one batter and hitting another.
With two outs in the inning, the bases loaded and the Missionary lead trimmed to 8-5, Bishop got his call from bullpen. The senior right-hander gave up one run on an infield single but then closed out the inning on a pop fly to short.
Fee paced the Whitman offense with two singles in addition to his home run. Fisher, Jones and Toivola each had two hits. Fisher scored twice, while Jones and Toivola collected two RBI apiece.
In game two, Whitman drew first blood by scoring four times in the top of the second inning. Adam Zaitz singled, moved up a base on a two-out infield error and scored on freshman Sean Kinney's single. Nelson then clubbed his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left-center field.
The Missionaries scored their fifth and final run in the fourth frame. Bergreen led off a base on balls, raced to third on Fee's single and scored on Kinney's single. Kinney finished the second game with three hits in four at-bats, plus a walk.
Matt Brewer, Whitman's hard-throwing senior right-hander, held Linfield in check through eight innings, giving up five runs on six hits. Only three of the runs off Brewer were earned.
The Wildcats scored once in the bottom of the eighth to pull even at 5-5. An infield error extended the inning long enough for Linfield's Grant Rogers to score on a botched pickoff attempt at second base.
With Bishop relieving Brewer in the bottom of the ninth, Linfield capitalized on two Missionary infield errors to score the winning run with one out. Whitman outhit the Wildcats 12-6 but committed four errors in all.
Nelson and Toivola had two hits each in the second game.
After pushing across six runs in the fifth inning to break open a scoreless game, Linfield coasted to 10-1 Northwest Conference victory over Whitman Sunday afternoon in McMinnville, Ore. The Wildcats won two of three games in the weekend series, played in weather that was both blustery and wet.
Ryan Toivola started on the mound and limited the Wildcats to a pair singles through the first four innings. In the fifth, however, Linfield ripped seven hits in scoring its six runs.
Whitman tallied its lone run in the top of the eighth. Adam Zaitz led off the inning with a single and gave way to pinch- runner Jordan Gale. After David Fee singled Gale to second base, Ryan Nelson singled up the middle to bring the run home.
Three of Whitman's five hits came in the eighth. Kyle Carothers and Danny Richards had the other two Missionary hits.
Linfield improved to 7-4 on the season, 2-1 in NWC play. Whitman is 3-10 overall, 1-2 in league. The two teams split a pair of games on Saturday.
The Missionaries travel to the University of British Columbia for single games this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 12-13. Whitman returns to NWC action next weekend when it hosts Whitworth for a three-game set.
The University of British Columbia scored five runs, three of them unearned, in the third inning and shut out Whitman 6-0 Tuesday night in Vancouver, B.C.
The Thunderbirds, now 7-7 on the season, are compete in NAIA Region 1 and play the bulk of their schedule against such schools as Lewis-Clark State, Northwest Nazarene, Eastern Oregon, Western Baptist and Oregon Tech.
Three Whitman errors contributed to UBC's five-run third. The inning's big blow was a two-run home by Mark Zamojc.
Five UBC pitchers combined to limit Whitman to five hits. Kyle Carothers had a perfect day at the plate for the Missionaries with two singles and two walks. Sean Kinney, Blake Fisher and David Fee also had hits for Whitman.
Jake Jensen hurled the first four innings for Whitman, scattering four hits, all but one of which came in the third inning. Bjorn Borkman and Fee split the final four innings on the hill. Fee retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
One of Whitman's best scoring opportunity came in the fourth inning when Carothers singled with one out, advanced to second base on a wild pitch and moved to third on a groundout. Ryan Toivola drew a walk to put runners on first and third, but an infield out ended the threat.
In the eighth inning, Kinney singled, stole second and slipped into third base when the throw was mishandled by the shortstop for an error. With one out, Carothers walked and stole second. Two strike-outs, however, ended that rally.
Whitman and UBC play a second game at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Missionaries then return home to host Whitworth this weekend in a three-game Northwest Conference series. Saturday's twinbill begins at noon. The third and final game is set for noon Sunday.
Whitman rallied back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit but eventually dropped a 5-4 decision in 10 innings to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on Wednesday night.
The Thunderbirds, who compete in Region 1 of the NAIA, raised their record to 8-7. Whitman, which saw its season record fall to 3-12, has now lost five games by a one-run margin.
The Missionaries nearly wriggled out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the tenth. Shortstop Blake Fisher fielded a ground ball and started a double play, throwing home to get one out. Catcher Adam Zaitz then fired to third baseman Jay Babbitt for a second force out.
Whitman's hopes for extending the game into the 11th inning were dashed when the next hitter, Matt Kittleson, singled home the winning from second base.
The Thunderbirds grabbed an early advantage by scoring four runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the first. Two walks and a Whitman fielding error contributed to the outburst.
The Missionaries scratched back with two runs in the third. Adam Zaitz and Danny Richards walked and moved up a base when Babbitt rolled a ground ball to the right side. Freshman Sean Kinney followed with a two-run single.
Whitman evened the score at 4-4 with two more runs in the fifth frame. Zaitz singled, Richards walked and Babbitt was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A double play allowed one run to score, and an infield error brought home the tying run.
Beginning with the third inning, Whitman relievers Mark Hinshaw and Ryan Nelson combined to throw five innings of two-hit, no-run ball.
The Missionaries managed just three hits in the game, two by Kinney.
Whitman, 1-2 in Northwest Conference play, host Whitworth this weekend for a series of three NWC games. A Saturday twinbill begins at noon at Borleske Stadium. A third game is set for noon on Sunday.
Check back for more details about Wednesday's against UBC.
After waiting out a three-hour snow delay, the Whitman College baseball team's bats took too long to get warm, as the Missionaries dropped a pair of Northwest Conference counters to the Pirates of Whitworth Saturday evening in Walla Walla at Borleske Stadium.
Whitworth won the first nine-inning game 10-1, behind six solid innings from starter Kurt Reese. In the second game, the teams played into the 13th inning in a six-to-six tie before the Pirates exploded for seven runs in the final extra inning, eventually winning 13-7.
The win improves the Pirate record to 6-9 overall, 2-0 in the Northwest Conference. The Missionaries are 3-14 overall, 1-4 in the conference. The two teams complete the three-game series Sunday at noon, weather permitting.
Despite the lopsided score, the first game was very much a pitcher's battle, as Reese and Missionary southpaw Ryan Nelson each pitched well. Reese allowed five hits and one earned run, a solo home run by Whitman senior Kyle Carothers.
Nelson, who pitched seven innings, allowed five runs, only three earned, on seven hits, while striking out two. For Whitman, the problems arose in the eighth, as the Missionaries made four fielding errors in the inning -- opening the floodgates for six unearned Pirate runs in the frame.
For Whitman, Bobby Jones and Adam Zaitz each had two hits in the first game, and Jones doubled.
In the nightcap the weather took a turn to the colder side, as the wind chill dropped temperatures below freezing. Whitworth fireballer Josh Mills pitched seven solid innings, and Nick Newberry completed the final six innings in relief for the victory. The pair combined for 12 strikeouts, including nine by Mills.
The Pirates took an early lead, going ahead 6-1 in the sixth when Reese hit a grand slam home run off Whitman starter Matt Brewer. The Missionaries battled back for three runs in the seventh on a bases loaded three-run double by Ryan Nelson, as the home team would eventually tie the score with a run in the eighth and another in the ninth.
Both teams had runners thrown out at the plate in the eleventh inning, attempting to score on fly balls.
Whitworth had 19 hits in the game, while the Missionaries combined for 15, including three by first baseman Ryan Toivola. Blake Fisher, Nelson and Jones each had two hits apiece. Scott Biglin had four hits for the Pirates, including a triple.
Mark Hinshaw hurled four scoreless innings in relief of Brewer, striking out four without allowing so much as a baserunner.
Whitman's Carothers did not play in the second game due to a deep quadriceps bruise he sustained when a Whitworth baserunner collided with him at first base in the first game. The senior captain is Whitman's third-leading hitter and leads the team with three home runs and 11 bases on balls.
Using a four-run ninth inning rally, the Whitworth College men’s baseball team slipped by Whitman, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
The win completed a three-game sweep for the Pirates, now 3-0 in Northwest Conference games, and 7-9 on the season. Despite a strong pitching effort from southpaw Ryan Toivola, the Missionaries now stand at 3-15 overall and 1-5 in conference.
Toivola nearly went the distance on the hill for Whitman, allowing just two runs (only one earned) over the first eight innings of action. The senior tired in the ninth, as the Pirates would score four runs in the inning, three off Toivola. Toivola struck out six and walked three, allowing seven hits in eight and one-third innings on the mound.
Whitman scored first, as the Missionaries jumped on the board with a run in the sixth. Bobby Jones opened the inning with a ground ball to shortstop that was misplayed, then Jones scooted into second on a second error, this time by the Pirate catcher. After a ground out by Ryan Nelson moved Jones to third, Adam Zaitz followed with an RBI-single to left.
The Pirates took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the seventh, before Whitman scored twice more in the eighth to take its final lead, 3-2. In that inning, Jones led off with with a ground ball to third base. An errant throw allowed the senior infielder to end up on second base on a two-base throwing error.
Nelson followed with a bunt, and reached first on a fielder's choice as the Pirates tried unsuccessfully to throw out Jones at third. After Adam Zaitz bunted Nelson to second, Danny Richards followed with an RBI-groundout -- scoring Jones from third. With two outs, an injured Kyle Carothers pinch-hit and hit a ground ball to the shortstop that was bobbled, allowing Carother to reach safely. Nelson scored on the play.
Freshman left fielder Sean Kinney was the only Missionary with two hits in the game, including one double. The Missionaries collected seven hits as a team, including a double by the pitcher Toivola, and singles by David Fee and Geoff Bergreen. For Bergreen, it was his first collegiate hit.
Whitman hosts the University of Puget Sound in a three-game series this coming weekend.
Hammering a pair of home runs and driving in all six Whitman runs, center fielder Ryan Nelson led the Missionaries to a 6-3 win over the visiting Puget Sound Loggers Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
The win improved Whitman's Northwest Conference record to 2-5, while the Loggers fell to 1-3. Originally scheduled as the first game of an afternoon doubleheader, the nine-inning affair turned into the only action of the day. Rainy weather postponed the second game until Sunday, to be played as part of a twinbill.
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Saturday's cold rain didn't bother Nelson one bit. The junior team captain staked the Missionaries to an early lead, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning off Logger starter Tyler Williams. Puget Sound clawed back with a run in the fourth frame, and two more in the sixth, before Nelson connected for his second blast, this time a two-run shot down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth.
Nelson singled in the final run of the game in the Missionary eighth, scoring Kyle Carothers who walked to open the inning. Nelson's big day at the plate moved him into the team lead in RBI with 16 and tied him with Carothers for the team lead in home runs with three.
Nelson, Carothers and Bobby Jones each scored two runs for Whitman. Jones and freshman Sean Kinney singled in the first inning to set the table for Nelson's home run. Adam Zaitz had Whitman's only other hit, a first-inning single that immediately followed Nelson's four-bagger.
Ryan Toivola picked up the win for Whitman, evening his season record at 3-3. The senior southpaw scattered eight hits and three runs (only one earned) over seven innings, while striking out seven. Mark Hinshaw and Jeremy Bishop pitched the final two innings in relief, with Bishop retiring the final four Logger batters in order, for his third save of the season.
The two teams will play a doubleheader Sunday at Borleske, weather permitting. The first game is scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m.
Freshman left fielder Sean Kinney led Whitman baseball to a pair of victories over Eastern Oregon, 3-2 and 7-4, Wednesday afternoon at Snowflake Field in LaGrande, Ore.
The wins boost the Missionaries overall record to 6-15, while the Mountaineers dropped to 2-10 on the season.
Kinney, Whitman’s lead-off hitter, had four hits and six RBI in two games. He was the catalyst in both games, as Whitman won its second and third game in a row.
In the first game, Kinney hit an 0-2 pitch off Mountaineer starter Ryan Banks into left field for a lead-off double. Blake Fisher moved Kinney to third with a ground out to the right side to set the table for the heart of the Missionary order. Kyle Carothers drew a walk, and Bobby Jones followed with an RBI-grounder to short, scoring Kinney on the fielder’s choice.
Eastern put up an unearned run in the second off Missionary starter Matt Brewer, but the senior right-hander was not rattled, as he shut down the Mountaineers into the seventh. Brewer earned the win, allowing five hits and two unearned runs in 6.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five before giving way in the seventh to Missionary closer Jeremy Bishop.
Bishop struck out two Mountaineers for the final pair of outs, earning his fourth save of the season.
Whitman managed only three hits in the game, two by Kinney and one by Jones. Whitman’s winning runs came in the top half of the seventh. Ryan Toivola led off with a walk and was pinch ran for by speedy freshman Andrew Schultz. Schultz found himself at third base after a sacrifice bunt and a fly-out to right field.
With two outs, David Fee was hit by a pitch, allowing Kinney to bat with runners at the corners. The left-handed hitting Kinney drilled a pitch into the left-center field gap, scoring both Schultz and Fee on the play, as the relay throw got away from the Mountaineer shortstop.
In the second game, Kinney picked up where he left off. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fourth, Kinney ripped a two-RBI triple off the right field wall, as Whitman erupted for three runs in the frame to take the lead for good.
In a game that featured three home runs, Kinney was not to be left out, as he hit a two-run homer in the Missionary sixth over the left-center field wall. Fellow freshman and high school teammate Andrew Schultz scored on the play. Schultz had previously singled and stole second.
Kyle Carothers homered for Whitman in the third, his team-leading fourth blast of the year. For the husky Missionary first baseman, it was one of few good pitches on the day, as the senior captain was walked three times in the two games.
Ryan Toivola led Whitman with three hits in the second game, as the Missionaries had 12 hits in all. Ryan Nelson pitched 4.2 innings for the win. He struck out four. Mark Hinshaw and Bishop combined for the final seven outs, as neither reliever allowed a hit. Bishop picked up his fifth save as the game’s closer.
Whitman has the weekend off in Northwest Conference action. The Missionaries return to the field the following weekend, April 6 and 7, with a three-game series in Portland versus NWC opponent Lewis & Clark College. Whitman will be looking to avenge a pair of preseason losses to the Pioneers.
Whitman ripped Lewis & Clark pitching for 39 hits, 15 of them for extra bases, in rolling to 17-13 and 17-3 Northwest Conference victories Saturday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex in Portland, Ore.
Stretching their recent win streak to five games, the Missionaries improved to 4-5 in the NWC standings and 8-15 on the season.
With Kyle Carothers clubbing a triple and two home runs in his first three at-bats, Whitman bolted to a 13-1 lead after four innings of game one. The Pioneers trimmed their deficit to 13-8 after seven innings, but the Missionaries added four more runs in their final two at-bats to take a 17-8 lead to the bottom of the ninth. Lewis & Clark scored five times in the ninth to make things interesting and complete the slugest.
Carothers, who has a team-leading six homers on the season, crushed a grand slam to highlight Whitman's five-run second inning. He finished with six RBI in the game.
Carothers was by no means the only Missionary pounding the ball in game one. Catcher Adam Zaitz was perfect at the plate, collecting four hits in four official at-bats, plus two walks. Danny Richards also stroked four hits, knocking in three runs.
Starting pitcher and designated hitter Ryan Toivola helped his own cause by rapping three of Whitman's 22 hits in the opener. Sean Kinney, Ryan Nelson and Blake Fisher each had two hits. David Fee managed just one hit, but it was a two-run double in the ninth inning, and he also drew a bases-loaded walk.
Toivola, in notching his fourth pitching victory of the season, was strong through five innings, holding the Pioneers to two runs on five hits. Lewis & Clark broke through in the sixth, scoring four times with two outs.
Starting on the hill in game two for the Missionaries, Matt Brewer shut out the Pioneers through five innings on just two singles. Whitman led 11-0 before Lewis & Clark finally dented the scoreboard with its only three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Whitman quickly extinguished any hopes of a Pioneer comeback, adding five more runs in the top of seventh. Zaitz struck the big blow, a bases-loaded home run to left field. Zaitz also had two doubles and single in the game, driving home seven runs in all.
Whitman's Ryan Nelson helped fuel the second-game offense with three hits, including a double, and three RBI. Bobby Jones contributed a pair of run-scoring doubles. Toivola and freshman Geoff Bergreen also had two hits each for the Missionaries. Bergreen and Fee stroked triples.
After Brewer hurled seven innings, Steve Johnson and Jeremy Bishop tossed one inning each to wrap up the victory.
Kyle Carothers, Whitman's senior first baseman, yanked two more home runs on Sunday -- giving him four for the weekend -- but Lewis & Clark answered with plenty of its own offense in taking a 17-8 victory at the Huston Sports Complex in Portland.
The loss, which snapped Whitman's five-game winning streak, dropped the Missionaries to 4-6 in the NWC standings, 8-16 overall.
Carothers mashed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to give Whitman the early lead. The Pioneers rallied back, moving in front 7-2 after four innings. Carothers answered with a solo shot in the fifth inning, and David Fee cut the deficit to 7-5 with a two-run homer in the sixth.
After Lewis & Clark extended its lead to 10-5, the Missionary offense plated three runs in the top of the eighth to make it 10-8. Danny Richards led off with a double and scored on Sean Kinney's single. Doubles by Blake Fisher and Bobby Jones accounted for the next two runs.
The Pioneers settled matters by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the eighth. Home runs by Jayson Echternach (grand slam) and Chris Webb did all the damage.
Fisher and Richards paced Whitman's offense with three hits each. Fisher had two doubles in the game, as did Jones.
Whitman jumped on Lewis-Clark State pitching for an early 4-0 lead, but the Warriors exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning and rolled to a 15-8 victory Wednesday evening at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.
The Warriors, ranked No. 7 nationally in the NAIA, improved to 24-10 on the season. Whitman dropped to 8-17 overall.
Ryan Toivola, who had three hits on the day, drilled a run-scoring double in Whitman's three-run first inning. Bobby Jones lofted a sacrifice fly to score the inning's first run, and Adam Zaitz tallied an RBI with a ground-out.
Danny Richards led off the top of the second frame with his first home of the season to give the Missionaries their short-lived 4-0 cushion. The Warriors responded in a big way in the bottom of the inning, ripping two home runs, two doubles and two singles to score seven runs.
Whitman inched closer with two runs in the fourth. Freshman Geoff Bergreen was hit by a pitch, moved to second base on freshman Sean Kinney's sacrifice bunt and scored on Blake Fisher's infield hit. Kyle Carothers then doubled to score Fisher.
The Missionaries evened the score at 7-7 with another run in the top of the fifth. A double by Zaitz and single by David Fee set up the run, which scored on a ground-out by Richards.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, LCSC rallied for four runs to take the lead for good. Micah Furtado had the big hit, a three-run home run.
Kinney rapped his second home run of the season in the eighth inning to account for Whitman's final run.
Zaitz drilled three doubles in the game, raising his batting averaged to a team-leading .320. Toivola also had three hits, boosting his average to .315.
Whitman’s Sean Kinney proved too much for the Willamette University baseball team Saturday afternoon as the freshman outfielder led the Missionaries to a pair of Northwest Conference victories over the visiting Bearcats at Borleske Stadium. Kinney doubled in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth in the early game, as the Missionaries won 5-4. Then in the second game, singled and doubled and scored two runs, as Whitman rolled to a 12-10 victory.
Whitman evened its conference record at 6-6 with the doubleheader sweep; the team is now 10-17 on the season. Willamette is now 7-12 in the conference and 8-17 overall.
In the first game, the Bearcats scored first, going ahead 1-0 in the second on a Jason Searle home run. Searle was two-for-three in the game with a pair of runs scored.
Whitman scored twice in the third and once more in the fourth to go ahead 3-1. The Bearcats chased Whitman starter Ryan Toivola in the sixth. Drew Ecklund hit a homer and Searle hit a single down the left field line, as Willamette evened the score at three-all.
Toivola finished the inning having allowed only three runs on ten hits and striking out one. Mark Hinshaw pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, before giving up a lead-off hit in the ninth.
Jeremy Bishop came on to close out the inning, though Willamette took the lead on a disputed balk call with runners at first and third.
In the Whitman ninth, Adam Zaitz doubled and Danny Richards walked, putting runners at first and second. After a fly ball made it runners at first and third with two outs, Kinney followed with his heroics, hitting the first pitch he saw off Bearcat reliever Andy Bartels all the way to the center field wall, as Richards scored easily from first base for the game’s winning run.
Bishop earned his first victory of the year in relief.
In the second game both teams erupted offensively, as the two teams combined for 29 hits and five home runs – four by Missionaries.
Ryan Nelson homered twice for Whitman, driving in three runs and scoring three times, himself. Ryan Toivola hit his first homer of the year in a four-run first, and Adam Zaitz homered, as well. Drew Ecklund hit Willamette’s only home run, his second of the afternoon.
Whitman scored four times in the first, but the Bearcats quickly erased the deficit scoring six runs in the second, before the Missionaries evened the score at six-all in the bottom half of the inning. Whitman took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth, before Willamette struck for three runs in the seventh to keep things interesting.
Whitman starter Matt Brewer pitched seven innings for the win. The senior righty struck out four and walked two before giving way to Hinshaw and Bishop for the final six outs.
Bishop tallied the final three outs, including a wild 1-4-6 put-out to second for the first out in the ninth as the senior earned his sixth save of the season.
Along with Nelson and Kinney, Kyle Carothers, Toivola, Zaitz and Danny Richards all had two hits in the second game. Kinney and Carothers both doubled, while Richards hit a triple to the left-center field wall.
Carothers and Toivola had two RBI each.
Tyler Hunnex pitched all eight innings for the Bearcats, surrendering 12 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits. Hunnex walked two and struck out four.
The two teams complete the three-game series Sunday at noon at Borleske.
Whitman baseball dropped a 13-7 Northwest Conference game to Willamette Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium. The Bearcats used 16 hits and nine free passes to score in all but two of the nine innings played in gusty winds.
Whitman drops to 10-18 overall, and 6-7 in the conference. The Bearcats are now 8-12 in the NWC and 9-17 on the year. Willamette used a run in the second and three more in the third to take the lead for good, eventually winning 12-7.
Jeff Jensen pitched eight innings before giving way to Chris Murrell for the final three outs of the ballgame. Andy Bartels homered and scored three times for the Bearcats, and Matt Drahn had three hits, as nine different Bearcats had hits in the game.
For Whitman, Bobby Jones singled three times on his way to a three-for-five outing at the plate. Sean Kinney, Danny Richards and Ryan Toivola all had two hits apiece for the Missionaries.
Toivola, who entered the game as a pinch hitter and remained in the game at first base, was two-for-two with a double off the left field wall. The senior lefty drove in two runs and scored once.
David Fee hit a two-run double for Whitman; and Kyle Carothers drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.
Three of the Bearcats 13 runs came on sacrifice flies, as the wind played fits with both teams for much of the game.
Despite the loss, the Missionaries remain in the thick of things in the conference standings. While Pacific is the clear front-runner with only three conference losses, there are three teams with at least five losses directly in front of Whitman. The Missionaries travel to Tacoma April 19 & 20 to take on Pacific Lutheran in three Northwest Conference counters. The Lutes entered Sunday tied with Whitman at 6-6 in the conference.
Kyle Carothers smashed his ninth home run of the season and Matt Brewer tossed eight strong innings as Whitman salvaged a split of its Northwest Conference twinbill at Pacific Lutheran with a 7-5 victory in the nightcap.
The Lutes, who won the opener 6-4, stayed even on the season in the NWC with an 8-8 record. The split left the Missionaries a half-step behind with a 7-8 NWC mark. The two teams play the third game of their weekend series at noon Sunday in Tacoma.
With two outs in the first inning of game two, Carothers ripped his home run to right field. He was one of three NWC players who started Saturday's games with nine homers.
Whitman took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Carothers drew his team-leading 25 base on balls of the season, moved to third on a Bobby Jones double, and then scored on Ryan Toivola's sacrifice fly.
After Pacific Lutheran grabbed a 3-2 lead, Whitman countered with three runs in the top of sixth frame. A Lute fielding error and singles by Blake Fisher and Ryan Nelson loaded the bases, setting the stage for back-to-back RBI singles by Jones and Toivola. Jones later scored on a wild pitch.
Pacific Lutheran pecked away with single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to pull even at 5-5. Danny Richards singled to start a two-run Whitman rally in the top of the ninth. After David Fee's sacrifice bunt moved Richards to second, Sean Kinney singled to left field. Richards scored and Kinney advanced to second base when the left fielder misplayed the ball. A second error in the inning allowed Kinney to score, boosting Whitman's lead to 7-5.
Brewer, who held the Lutes in check on nine hits through eight innings, gave way to closer Jeremy Bishop in the ninth. Bishop got two quick outs, surrendered a double, and then nailed down the victory to post his conference-leading seventh save of the season. Brewer is now 4-1 on the season.
Kinney, Fisher and Jones had two hits apiece. Carothers scored three times.
Pacific Lutheran took charge early in game one, bolting to a 6-0 lead after three innings. The Missionaries cut that lead in half with three runs in the top of the fourth. After Carothers and Nelson led off with singles, a Lute doubleplay momentarily stalled Whitman's rally. After Toivola walked, however, Adam Zaitz ripped a two-run double to the right-center gap. Richards then singled home Zaitz.
Whitman added a run in the fifth. With two outs, Carothers walked, stole second and scored when Jones doubled down the left- field line.
With the Lutes nursing a 6-4 lead, neither team scored again the rest of the way.
Pacific Lutheran rallied for three runs in its final two at-bats to hand Whitman a 3-2 Northwest Conference loss Sunday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash.
Missionary starter Ryan Nelson held the Lutes scoreless through five innings on five hits. Meanwhile, Whitman manufactured a run in the second inning when Adam Zaitz singled, took third on David Fee's single, and then snuck home when Fee drew a throw stealing second base. The Missionaries made it 2-0 in the fourth inning when Sean Kinney reached first on a two-out error, scooted to third on Blake Fisher's single, and scored on a single by Kyle Carothers.
Pacific Lutheran narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the sixth inning on a double, single and fielder's choice. The Lutes took the lead when Rob White belted a two-run home in the seventh. It was White's eighth round-tripper of the season.
Jason Andrew went the distance on the hill for the Lutes to record his seventh win of the season. He scattered six hits and one base on balls. He fanned 11.
David Fee hit two home runs for Whitman and drove in five RBI, but the senior outfielder’s efforts were not enough, as Northwest Conference rival George Fox won a pair of games Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
The Bruins won the first game 8-7, as freshman Scott Hyde went the distance for the visitors. In the second game, George Fox took advantage of a few miscues, scoring four runs in the sixth before eventually winning, 5-2. Cory Dixon pitched eight innings of two-run baseball before giving way to Thomas Chivers for the final three outs.
The wins boost the Bruins record to 15-7 in the conference and 23-12 overall. George Fox is less than two games back of NWC-leader Pacific University. Whitman fell to 11-22 overall and 7-11 in the conference.
In the first game, Bruins’ Kevin Tucker and Paul Gramenz each hit home runs, as the pair drove in four runs combined.
Whitman went ahead early when Sean Kinney singled to lead off the bottom half of the first and eventually came around to score on a Kyle Carothers ground ball that got by the first baseman.
The Bruins answered with a four-run second, before the Missionaries notched another run in the third. Kinney walked and scored on a Carothers single, making the game 4-2 in favor of the Bruins.
George Fox scored once more in the sixth, before Whitman’s Fee hit his first of two home runs on the day. With runners at first and second, Fee hit a drive over the right field fence, capping a four-run inning and making the score 6-5 in favor of the home team.
The lead was short-lived, as the left-handed hitting Tucker turned on pitch for a three-run homer down the right field line, giving his team the lead for good.
Whitman managed one more run in the bottom half of the seventh, but couldn’t muster the tying run in its final two at-bats.
Kinney and Carothers each had two hits in the game, while Kinney scored three times. Tucker led the Bruins with three hits.
Winning pitcher Scott Hyde allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out ten. For Whitman, Ryan Nelson pitched seven innings allowing eight runs (only four earned) and striking out three. Mark Hinshaw retired the last six Bruins in order, striking out two in relief of Nelson.
In the second game, the Bruins used eight solid innings from southpaw Cory Dixon and Ryan Dearinger three-run home run in earning the victory.
Dixon allowed both Whitman runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out five. Dearinger, who earlier in the afternoon set an NCAA record for most times being hit by a pitch in a single season, hit a three-run blast off Missionary starter Matt Brewer in a four-run sixth, the first scoring for either side.
The Bruins scored once more in the seventh, before Whitman got on the board with David Fee’s second home run of the day, another opposite-field shot. After Danny Richards led off the Whitman seventh with a double, Fee sent the first good pitch from Dixon beyond the right field fence, putting the Missionaries three back at five runs, to two.
The Missionaries again threatened in the ninth. Ryan Nelson led off with a single to chase Dixon, and pinch-hitter Jay Babbitt singled off reliever Thomas Chivers, as the Missionaries brought the tying run to the plate with only one out. Chivers then settled down to retire the final two outs without excitement.
The two teams complete the three-game series Sunday at noon at Borleske Stadium.
With a share of the Northwest Conference baseball title on the line, George Fox rallied for five decisive runs in the ninth inning, in winning the third game in three-game series against Whitman Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
The win guaranteed the Bruins (16-7 NWC, 24-12 overall) at least a share of the conference title. The loss dropped Whitman to 7-12 in the conference and 11-23 overall.
Depending the outcome of Whitman’s final three-game series against Pacific University next weekend in Forest Grove, the three-game sweep may have given the Bruins the conference title, outright. Needing only one Boxer loss (currently 13-7 in the NWC) to assure itself a berth in the postseason, the playoff hopes of the Bruins now rest somewhat in the hands of the Missionaries, as the Bruins need at least one Whitman win next weekend for the conference title.
On Sunday, things looked good early for Whitman, as the home team jumped out to a quick lead with a four-run first off Bruin starter Mike Beck. Whitman freshman leftfielder Sean Kinney opened the frame with a triple to right-centerfiled, and Blake Fisher followed with an RBI-single to plate the game’s first run. Kyle Carothers then doubled in Fisher, and one out later Ryan Nelson connected for his sixth home run of the season, a drive that cleared the trees beyond the left field fence, to make it 4-0.
The Bruins answered with a run in the second with back-to-back doubles by Paul Gramenz and Michael Tucker, before Missionary starter Ryan Toivola shut the door.
Whitman put up two more runs on three doubles in the third. Fisher led off with a double and Bob Jones drove him in with an RBI double to right. Nelson then chased Bruin starter Beck with another rocket, this time settling for a double off the base of the left-centerfield wall some 380 feet away.
The Bruins put up a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh, closing the book on Toivola, who lasted six and two-thirds innings. He allowed four runs and struck out two without walking a batter. The senior lefty did not practice during the week due to a stiff back. He left with the Missionaries leading 6-4.
Whitman put up its final run in the bottom of the seventh. Fisher lined a one-out single, his third of the day to open and Carothers followed with a single to move Fisher to third. Jones then followed with an RBI groundout to second, scoring Fisher.
Leading by three with three out to play, Whitman couldn’t tame the Bruin bats, as conference leaders erupted for five runs on five hits, the devasting blow coming on a two-run homer by Gramenz.
Fisher and Carothers each had three hits for Whitman, and Fisher scored three times. Jones had two RBI, while Nelson finished with three RBI on his two hits.
The Missionaries wrap up their season with a three-game series versus Pacific at Forest Grove this weekend. The Boxers need a three-game sweep to ensure a share of the conference title with George Fox.
With Kyle Carothers hitting his team-leading 10th and 11th home runs of the season, Whitman rolled to a 13-3 Northwest Conference victory at Pacific in the first game of a Saturday double-header.
Pacific, which leads the NWC in home runs, bounced back in the nightcap, bashing six long balls as part of a 23-10 rout.
The first-game loss, however, was critical for the Boxers, who needed to sweep all three games from Whitman this weekend to share the NWC title with George Fox. Saturday's split left Pacific with a 14-8 conference record heading into Sunday's season finale with Whitman, while George Fox ended its conference schedule last weekend with a 16-7 mark.
Ryan Toivola, a senior left-hander, posted his fifth victory of the season in hurling Whitman to its first-game triumph. Toivola surrendered just seven hits to the Boxers, who scored single runs in the second, eighth and ninth innings. Only two of the Pacific runs were earned.
Meanwhile, the Missionaries tallied single runs in the second and third frames and added two more in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. Carothers and Ryan Nelson connected for back-to-back home runs in the fifth as Whitman began pulling away. Nelson's blast was his seventh on the season.
Carothers crunched his 11th home run in the sixth inning with one man aboard. Whitman's offense kept rolling with two runs in the seventh and three more in the ninth.
Carothers, who collected five RBI in the game, was one of four Missionaries with three hits each. Sean Kinney, Blake Fisher and Danny Richards also had three hits apiece. Fisher stroked two doubles and knocked in two runs, while Kinney and Richards both scored three runs. Nelson and Adam Zaitz added two hits each to Whitman's 18-hit attack.
Whitman took the early lead in game two, jumping in front 4-3 after the first inning and leading 5-4 after two frames. After knotting the score at 5-5 in the third, Pacific went on a rampage, racking up 18 runs in its next five at-bats.
Kevin Roth and Matt Lengwenus whacked two home runs each to lead the Pacific assault. Roth now leads the NWC in homers with 15, while Lengwenus has 14. Pacific's Ryan Joy had one home run in the second game, upping his season total to 12.
Carothers had three more hits in the second game, raising his team-leading batting average to .339. Carothers, who also drew to two walks, scored two runs and knocked in two more.
Nelson rapped a double and single for the Missionaries in the nightcap, driving in two runs. Toivola also had two hits in the game.
Whitman and Pacific start Sunday's final game at noon.
Whitman closed out its baseball season on a discouraging note Sunday, dropping an 11-10 decision in ten innings to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.
The Missionaries fell behind 5-0 early in the contest, but Blake Fisher and Bobby Jones clubbed two-run home runs in the sixth inning to get the Missionaries back in the game. Singles by Ryan Toivola, David Fee and Danny Richards then loaded the bases. Jay Babbitt's RBI-groundout knotted the score at 5-5.
Whitman moved in front 7-5 in the seventh on Toivola's RBI-double, followed by an Adam Zaitz single. The Missionaries added three more runs in the eighth to take a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Whitman's six hits in the inning included run-scoring singles by Jones, Toivola and Kyle Carothers. Sean Kinney ignited the outburst with a double.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Joy's three-run home run trimmed Whitman's lead to 10-9. Then, with two outs, a two-bagger followed by a single pulled Pacific into a 10-10 tie, sending the game to extra innings.
With two outs in bottom of the tenth, Pacific's Matt Lengwenus singled and scored the game-winning run on Joy's double to center field.
Whitman finished with 18 hits, one less than Pacific. Fee led the way for the Missionaries with four hits in five trips to the plate. Toivola and Fisher both finished with three hits and two RBI. Kinney had two doubles in three at-bats, while Jones and Carothers also collected two hits apiece. Jones knocked in three runs and scored three.
The loss wasted a fine performance by Whitman starter Mark Hinshaw, who held Pacific's offense in check through seven innings. Used primarily out of the bullpen this season, the senior right-hander gave up six runs while fanning two. Ryan Nelson hurled a perfect eighth inning for Whitman.
Carothers, who stroked eight hits in 14 at-bats in the three-game Pacific series, raised his batting average to .350 and won his second consecutive Whitman batting title. Carothers, a senior first baseman, also led the Missionaries with 11 home runs (two on Saturday) and 33 RBI. His 11 round-trippers this season is the most by a Missionary in recent memory.