After junior left-hander Pete Stadmeyer tossed Whitman to a 3-1 victory in the opener, Whitworth exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning of a 15-7 game-two triumph as the two teams wrapped up their Northwest Conference baseball seasons Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
Whitworth ended its season with records of 12-20 in the NWC and 13-27 overall. Whitman finished at 2-30 and 4-36.
Strong pitching, sharp defense and timely hitting were the keys to victory for Whitman in the opener. Stadmeyer shut down the Pirate offense on four hits, Adam Knappe sparkled defensively at second base, and Erik Korsmo and Micah Babbitt stoked the offense with two hits apiece.
Stadmeyer, who struck out two and walked one, checked the Pirates on four singles over seven innings. Whitworth starter Ryan Snell, a senior right-hander, was almost as effective, giving up seven hits while fanning four in six innings of work.
Whitman drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Babbitt singled with one out, took second base when Austin Shackelford grounded out to the pitcher on a hit-and-run play, and scored as Luke Marshall’s hard ground ball skipped past the Pirate shortstop for an error.
Whitworth evened the slate with a run in the fourth. After Jon Whiteside was knicked on the elbow by a pitch and Mitch Ramsey singled up the middle, Dan Ramsey’s sacrifice bunt pushed both runners into scoring position. Chad Flett’s ground-out to second base scored Whiteside from third.
Whitman regained the lead with a run in the fifth. Three consecutive one-out singles by Mike Rathwell, Korsmo and Babbitt loaded the bases. Shackelford grounded to short but avoided the doubleplay, beating the throw to first base as Rathwell scored from third.
Whitman made it 3-1 with another run in the sixth. With one out, White moved into scoring position when his groundball to third was misplayed for a two-base error. Nate Rankin, the next hitter, lined an RBI-single to right-center field.
Whitworth made it interesting in the top of the seventh. Chad Flett led off with a single to right-center and took second base when the ball was bobbled. Flett slipped into third on a wild pitch, but Stadmeyer got the first out of the inning on a foul pop-up to first. He also got the next two outs – a groundball to third and line out to second – to leave Flett stranded and post Whitman’s second complete-game pitching performance of the weekend.
Knappe made his defensive web gems in the fifth and sixth innings, robbing Mac Collette and Dan Belet of hits early in both innings. Rathwell, who caught the game for Stadmeyer, gave his batterymate a boost in the third inning, throwing out Matt Monahan in an attempted steal of second base.
Korsmo's two hits included a third-inning double. Shackelford was then hit by a pitch with two outs, but both runners were left standed when Luke Marshall's line drive was caught in center field.
With game two tied at 5-5, Whitworth took charge in the sixth inning with nine runs on six hits, two hit-batters, one base on balls, and a dropped line drive in the outfield. Big hits for the Pirates included Scott Ward's two-run triple, Ben George's two-run double, and Dan Ramsey's two-run single. Ramsey had two singles in the inning.
Whitman rallied a bit in the bottom of the sixth, cutting its deficit to 14-7. Korsmo led off with a single, Babbitt was hit by a pitch, and both runners advanced a base on a balk. Shackelford's ground-out to first base scored one run, and Marshall plated the second with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Jon Whiteside, whose RBI-single in the top of the seventh made it 15-7, pitched the bottom of the inning for Whitworth, getting the final three outs while giving up a two-out pinch-hit double to Jay Richards.
Both clubs collected 13 hits, although Whitworth also capitalized on 10 walks. Dan Ramsey led the way for the Pirates with three hits and three RBI. Whitworth got two hits each from Mitch Ramsey, Whiteside, Flett and George.
In addition to his RBI-sacrifice fly, Marshall had three hits in his three official at-bats for Whitman. Korsmo, who laced a two-out triple in the second inning, was one of three Missionaries with two hits each. Shackelford and Michael Lazcano also had a pair of safeties.
Whitman scored the game's first run in the first inning on consecutive singles by Babbitt, Shackelford and Marshall. Whitworth scored twice in each of the next two innings for a 4-1 lead, but Whitman scored three times in the bottom of the third to forge a 4-4 deadlock. After Marshall singled and the Pirate infield botched a doubleplay ball, Matt Morris-Rosenfeld lined a two-run single to center and later scored on Lazcano's single.
Whitworth regained the lead with a run in the fourth. Whiteside singled, advanced on Belet's sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, and scored on Dan Ramsey's sacrifice fly to center. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, singles by Shackelford, Marshall and Knappe evened the score at 5-5.
Austin Knighton, who pitched two innings of relief for Whitworth, got the pitching win.
With sophomore Joe Rodhouse tossing nine strong innings and his offense erupting for six runs in the seventh inning, Whitman celebrated its first Northwest Conference baseball victory of the season Saturday, knocking off Whitworth 8-6 in the first game of a twinbill at Borleske Stadium.
In game two, Whitworth survived a seventh-inning Whitman rally en route to a 7-5 victory. The Saturday split left Whitworth with records of 11-19 in the NWC and 12-26 overall, while Whitman is 1-29 and 3-35.
The two teams conclude their seasons with a pair of seven-inning games at Borleske on Sunday. The five seniors on Whitman’s roster – Mike Rathwell, Luke Marshall, Adam Knappe, Sam Thompson and Chad Friske – will be recognized on the field prior to the noon start of game one.
Trailing 4-0, Whitman opened the bottom of the seventh inning with seven consecutive hits, vaulting into a 6-4 lead. After Dan White led off a single behind third base and took second on a wild throw to first, Matt Morris-Rosenfeld ripped a double to the left-center field fence to get Whitman on the scoreboard. Michael Lazcano dumped a single into right field, sending Morris-Rosenfeld to third, and Erik Korsmo poked an RBI-double down the right-field line.
Micah Babbitt kept the hit parade going, smacking a sharp single up the middle, scoring two runs and knotting the score at 4-4. Babbitt scooted into second on the throw home and took third on Austin Shackelford’s infield single to second. Luke Marshall’s RBI-single to right gave Whitman a 5-4 lead.
The Pirates got their first out of the inning when Whitman’s next hitter, Adam Knappe, bunted back to the pitcher, who threw home in time to nail a sliding Shackelford at the plate. Nate Rankin followed with a run-scoring single to right, upping the Missionary lead to 6-4. White, batting for the second time in the inning, then crushed a one hopper that Whitworth second baseman Billy Rigsby turned into an inning-ending doubleplay.
Whitman added two big insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. After Morris-Rosenfeld walked and Babbitt reached on a swinging bunt, Shackelford smoked a base-clearing triple off the right-field fence.
Rodhouse, who had retired 12 of 13 hitters from the fifth through the eighth inning, got the first out of the ninth on a ground ball to second base. But the Pirates refused to go quietly, getting a walk from Dan Belet and singles by Dan Ramsey and Mitch Ramsey to load the bases. Rigsby lifted a flyball to center to score one run, but Rodhouse wrapped up the victory by striking out the final hitter.
Rodhouse, a sophomore right-hander, scattered eight hits while giving up four earned runs.
Whitworth scored the day’s first run in the third inning without benefit of a hit. A hit-batter and base on balls, followed by a sacrifice bunt and Mitch Ramsey’s sacrifice fly to left field, gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
The visitors added three two-out runs in the fourth. Mac Collette dropped a bunt down the third-base line and just barely beat Babbitt’s charging scoop and off-balance throw to first. Matt Monahan, hitting No. 9 for the Pirates, then drilled a line-shot home run down the left-field line. It was Monahan’s first round-tripper of the season.
Whitworth tacked on its fourth run courtesy of a single, dropped line drive in right field and back-to-back walks.
Whitman loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but failed to score. Korsmo’s single to right field, Shackelford’s swinging bunt, and Marshall’s hard single to right loaded the sacks with Missionaries. But Knappe lined out to first base, and Whitworth starter Chad Flett escaped the jam by fanning the next hitter.
Korsmo, a freshman, and Shackelford, a sophomore, had three hits apiece to spark Whitman’s season-high 15-hit attack. Babbitt, Marshall and Morris-Rosenfeld added two hits each. Morris-Rosenfeld also drew two walks.
Dan Ramsey and Monahan both had two hits for Whitworth.
Shackelford’s first-inning home run, a long drive over the right-centerfield fence, gave Whitman a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, but Dan Ramsey’s two-run triple in the third helped the Pirates grab a 4-1 lead.
Whitman swiped back a run in the fourth frame. With two outs, Knappe singled and raced to third on White’s hit-and-run single up the middle. Knappe then scored on the back end of an attempted double-steal. After taking off for second base and drawing the throw, White stopped and stayed in the run-down long enough for Knappe to cross the plate.
After stranding a runner at third base in the sixth, Whitman tied the game at 4-4 with two runs in the seventh. White walked, Morris-Rosenfeld doubled to the left-center field gap, and Frisk was hit by a pitch – a glancing blow off the helmet – to load the bases.
Whitworth starter Nathan Johnson, who had checked Whitman on three hits over the first six innings, also hit the next batter to force home a run and bring his outing to an end. Pirate reliever John Hauck walked Babbitt on four pitches, sending another run across the plate to even the game at 4-all.
The Pirates came right back in the eighth inning, taking the lead for good with three runs. Dan Ramsey led off with a double and scored when Rigsby singled to left. Whitman starter Sean Day’s stint on the mound came to a close when he walked the next batter.
Whitworth's Mitch Nelson greeted reliever Jason Sease with a bloop single to center, loading the bases. A hit-batter and base on balls plated two more runs, giving the Pirates a 7-4 lead.
Whitman loaded the bases with no outs in its half of the eighth. Marshall walked, Knappe singled and White popped a bunt single between the pitcher and third baseman. Collin Gibbs, Whitworth’s fourth pitcher of the game, came out of the bullpen to get the first out on an infield pop fly. Mike Rathwell drilled a ball to right field, but Whitworth's Scott Ward scooped the ball on one hop and threw to second base for the force out. Marshall scored on the play, cutting Whitman's deficit to 7-5, but Gibbs got the third out on another infield pop.
Brian Kitamura led off the Whitman ninth with a sharp single to right field. Babbitt also hit the ball hard, but shortstop Jon Whiteside was waiting to start a 6-4-3 doubleplay. Gibbs, who also threw an inning of relief in the first game, got the final out on a strike-out to nail down the victory and pick up the save.
Whitworth got two hits each from Nelson, Rigsby, Mitch Ramsey and Dan Ramsey. White and Knappe had two hits apiece for Whitman. Shackelford's first-inning home run was his fourth of the season.
Pacific Lutheran retained its hold on third place in the Northwest Conference baseball standings by pinning three defeats on Whitman Sunday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash.
The Lutes, now 19-9 in the NWC, started the day by finishing off an 8-3 victory in a game that started on Saturday and suspended by wet weather. The host squad then swept Sunday's regularly scheduled twinbill, 13-1 and 7-0. The losses dropped Whitman to 2-34 on the season and 0-28 in conference.
Whitman wraps up its season next weekend when its welcomes Whitworth to Borleske Stadium for a four-game series. Doubleheaders are set to start at noon both Saturday and Sunday.
Play in Saturday's suspended game resumed at noon Sunday with Pacific Lutheran batting in the bottom of the eighth inning with an 8-1 lead. Mitch Hannoosh, a sophomore outfielder and recent addition to Whitman's injury-weakened pitching staff, retired the Lutes in order in the eighth, setting the stage for a mini-Missionary rally in the top of the ninth.
Pinch-hitter Dan White led off with a single and moved to second when freshman Erik Korsmo drew a base on balls. Korso was picked off first, but sophomore Micah Babbitt doubled White to third. Sophomore Austin Shackelford rapped a two-run single up the middle, slicing Whitman's deficit to 8-3, but the inning and the game ended with two ground-outs.
Whitman outhit Pacific Lutheran 10-7, although the Lutes also took full advantage of six walks and two hit-batters. The Missionaries scored their first run in the fourth inning when senior Luke Marshall doubled to left field and later scored on freshman Nate Rankin's infield single.
The Lutes grabbed the lead for good with six runs in their first three at-bats. They scored four times in the second inning, getting three of those runs on a three-run Sammy Davis double.
Babbitt led Whitman's offense with three hits in three official at-bats. He also walked and dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line. In the Whitman eighth, senior Adam Knappe singled and junior Matt Morris-Rosenfeld to left field, but both runners were left standed.
Pacific Lutheran broke open a close game with 11 runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to a 13-1 triumph in the first of Sunday's seven-inning games. After scoring a pair of two-out runs in the second frame, the Lutes knocked Whitman starter Pete Stadmeyer from the game with a five-run fifth inning that included a pair of infield hits.
Pacific Lutheran starter Brett Brunner went the distance on the mound, allowing Whitman just six hits while striking out seven. The Missionaries got their only run when White led off the sixth inning with a pinch-hit double to left. Senior Mike Rathwell lined out to right and Korsmo flied out to left, but Babbitt walked and Knappe smacked an RBI-single through the left side.
White also singled in the seventh inning and was one of two Missionaries to have a two-hit game. Knappe and Korsmo also had two hits each.
Sophomore left-hander Trey Watt tossed a gem in Sunday's finale, shutting out Whitman on three hits to raise his pitching record to 5-1. He fanned seven and didn't walk a batter in throwing his second complete game of the season.
The Lutes took the lead with a four-run third inning. Two walks and a hit-batter set the table for Geoff Gabler's bases-clearing triple.
Whitman's best scoring opportunity came in the seventh inning. Shackelford stroked a one-out single to left field and continued to second base when the ball was misplayed. Two ground-outs left Shackelford stranded at third base.
Babbitt and sophomore Michael Lazcano also had hits for Whitman.
Saturday's Suspended Game, Box Score
Playing in 35-degree temperatures and occasional snow flurries, Whitman dropped the first game of a Northwest Conference twinbill to Pacific Lutheran 10-2 Saturday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash. The second game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth inning (due to wet grounds) with the Lutes on top 8-1.
Weather permitting, the two teams will resume the suspended game at noon Sunday, and then try to play the two seven-inning games already scheduled.
Whitman (2-31, 0-25 NWC) got on the scoreboard first in Saturday's opener, pushing across a run in the top of the first inning. After freshman Erik Korsmo led off with a single and sophomore Micah Babbitt was hit by a pitch, sophomore Austin Shackelford bunted both runners into scoring position. Korsmo then scored on senior Luke Marshall's ground-out.
Pacific Lutheran (19-12-2, 16-9 NWC) evened the score at 1-1 with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first. The Lutes added a second run as Whitman's infield turned a doubleplay.
The host squad took charge in the third inning, scoring five runs on four hits and three errors. Whitman picked up its second run in the fifth inning when Shackelford walked, took second base on a wild pitch and scored on Marshall's single to right field. Marshall had two of Whitman's seven hits.
George Fox edged Whitman 2-0 in a classic pitcher's duel in game one and then rode a five-run second inning to a 9-1 victory in the nightcap in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
Improving to 19-5 in the NWC (23-9 overall), the Bruins moved to within a game of first-place Linfield, which is 20-4 in conference after splitting a Sunday twinbill with Lewis & Clark.
Whitman, its pitched staff hit by injuries, dropped to 2-30 on the season and 0-24 in conference. The hard-luck Missionaries have also lost four NWC games by one or two runs, and three other games by three- or four-run margins.
Whitman left-hander Pete Stadmeyer locked horns with George Fox righty Mark Putney in the game-one pitcher's duel. Stadmeyer, who fanned nine Bruins over six innings, allowed just two singles through the first five frames. With two outs in the sixth, Matt Wyckoff launched a long home run to right-center field to give George Fox a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins followed Wyckoff's blast with three singles to load the bases, but Stadmeyer struck out the next hitter to keep the game close.
George Fox added a second "hitless" run in the seventh inning against Whitman's bullpen. Kyle Seymour, after being hit by a pitch, moved around to third base on a balk and sacrifice bunt, and scored on Pat Bailey's sacrifice fly to center.
Putney, who improved to 4-1 on the season, held the Whitman offense to just four singles -- two by freshman Nate Rankin, and one each by Luke Marshall and Brian Kitamura. Putney struck out eight in seven innings and didn't walk a batter. Dan Winterstein had two of six George Fox hits.
The Bruins got the early jump in game two with a five-run second inning that featured Wyckoff's second home run of the day and Kyle Kuenzi's RBI-triple. Trailing 7-0, Whitman scored its only run in the fourth inning when freshman Erik Korsmo ripped a triple over the centerfielder's head and scored on Austin Shackelford's sacrifice fly to center.
With Shackelford rapping a lead-off single in seventh inning, Whitman put two runners aboard but failed to score. Marshall and freshman Jay Richards had Whitman's other two hits in the game.
Shane Dalgleish tossed the first five innings for George Fox, giving up two hits and one run while walking two. Two relievers finished for the Bruins. Kuenzi and Todd Siler paced the offense with two hits apiece.
Sean Day started on the hill for Whitman but gave way to arm problems after pitching to one batter in the third inning.
Whitman hits the road next weekend for a four-game set at Pacific Lutheran in Tacoma, Wash., while George Fox returns home to host Puget Sound. George Fox and Linfield are slated to meet April 27-28 in a series that could decide the NWC title.
George Fox, the top hitting team in the Northwest Conference, rapped a total of 27 hits while outscoring Whitman 13-1 and 10-2 Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
The Bruins, who scored 15 of their 23 runs in the first three innings of the two games, remain in second place in the NWC with a 17-5 record (20-9 overall). Whitman slipped to 2-28 on the season and 0-22 in conference.
The two teams complete their weekend series on Sunday with a pair of seven-inning games, starting at noon at Borleske.
Todd Siler had three hits and three RBI to spark a 15-hit George Fox attack in Saturday's second game. Pat Bailey, Kyle Kuenzi and Dan Winterstein all tripled for the Bruins.
After George Fox jumped in front 8-1 after three innings, the two teams battled on nearly even terms the rest of the way. Whitman's defense turned a total of five doubleplays in the game -- two on groundballs and three on infield line drives that doubled runners off base. The Missionaries also turned four doubleplays in Saturday's first game, two on groundballs and two on line-outs.
Whitman dented the scoreboard for one of its two runs when sophomore Austin Shackelford doubled off the right-field fence in the second inning. He scored one out later on a Jason Sease single to left field.
Whitman loaded the bases in the fourth when freshman Nate Rankin singled, sophomore Brian Kitamura walked and senior Mike Rathwell reached on an infield error. Freshman Jay Richards then drew another base on balls to force home a run. Rankin had two of Whitman's seven hits in the game.
Nick Hedgecokc scattered six hits over the first six innings to get the pitching victory for George Fox.
Matt Wyckoff stroked three hits, including a run-scoring double, to key the George Fox offense in the opener. The Bruins scored two runs in the first and broke it open with five runs in the second.
After George Fox added five more runs in the top of the seventh, Whitman picked up a run in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore Michael Lazcano singled and later scored on sophomore Micah Babbitt's single through the left side.
Babbitt, Lazcano and Shackelford had two hits each for the Missionaries.
Nick Bratney hurled six innings of four-hit shutout ball to get the win for the Bruins. Kyle Johnson tossed the final three innings to get the save. Six Whitman errors led to six unearned George Fox runs.
Willamette rallied from a five-run deficit in the opener and then smacked five home runs in the nightcap as the Bearcats kept Whitman winless in the Northwest Conference with 9-6 and 8-4 victories Sunday afternoon at John Lewis Field in Salem, Ore.
Whitman, which jumped to a 5-0 lead in the opener behind five strong innings from starter Pete Stadmeyer, ended the weekend with records of 2-26 on the season and 0-20 in the NWC. Willamette improved to 15-14 overall and 11-9 in conference.
Stadmeyer, a junior lefty, fanned the first two hitters he faced and held the Willamette offense to one single through the first three innings. Meanwhile, after leaving the bases loaded in its second at-bat, Whitman took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Sophomore Micah Babbitt doubled down the left-field line, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on sophomore Austin Shackelford's ground-out.
Whitman's lead swelled to 5-0 when the Missionaries scored four times in the fourth. Senior Adam Knappe led off with a single and moved to third on junior Dan White's one-out double. After junior Matt Morris-Rosenfeld walked to load the bases, senior Mike Rathwell ripped a two-run double into the left-center field gap. Senior Chad Frisk singled home a third run and Babbitt knocked in the fourth with a ground-out to shortstop.
Willamette got to Stadmeyer for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. After Sean Anderson led off with his fifth home run of the season, the Bearcats bunched a double and run-scoring single to make it 5-2 Whitman. The Missionary infield turned a doubleplay to end the threat.
Whitman added a run in the fifth when senior Luke Marshall singled, took second on Knappe's sacrifice bunt and later scored on White's single up the middle. In the Willamette fifth, Whitman's infield turned its second doubleplay in as many innings to keep the Missionary lead at 6-2.
After Rathwell lined out to center to open the sixth inning, Frisk walked and Babbitt reached on a bunt single down the third base line. Both runners were left stranded when Jimmy Meuel, Willamette's third pitcher of the game, got the next two outs on fly balls.
With Stadmeyer tiring, Willamette rallied in the bottom of the sixth. After the first two Bearcats singled and walked, a wild pitch and Colin Young's sacrifice fly to right field pushed across one run. Michael Rierson's RBI-single made it 6-4, and the Bearcats loaded the bases with a hit-batter and two-out walk. Doug Bloom then struck the big blow for Willamette, poking a two-run single up the middle to knot the score at 6-6. The single also ended Stadmeyer's day at the 112-pitch mark.
Whitman's fortunes took a final turn for the worse when Willamette's next hitter, T.C. Lee, clubbed his seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot to left-center field. Whitman failed to reach base in its final at-bat in the top of the seventh as the game slipped away.
Whitman outhit the Bearcats 9-8 for the game but left seven runners stranded. Babbitt and White had two hits each for the Missionaries.
After Whitman rallied in the nightcap to trail by just a single run at 5-4, Willamette scored three times on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to wrap up its doubleheader sweep.
Whitman scored first when Morris-Rosenfeld launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot to center field, in the second inning. Willamette evened the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second and then pulled away to a 5-1 lead after four frames.
Whitman got a run back in the top of the fifth when sophomore Brian Kitamura and Babbitt drew walks in front of Marshall's two-out RBI-single. Knappe was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a ground-out left the bases full.
The Missionaries loaded the bases again in the sixth on singles by sophomore Michael Lazcano and White sandwiched around another Kitamura base on balls. After Babbitt also walked to force home a run, Whitman drew within 5-4 on Shackelford's run-scoring ground-out.
White and Marshall had two hits apiece to pace Whitman's eight-hit attack. Sophomore Joe Rodhouse started on the mound for Whitman and left the game with one out and one runner aboard in the sixth inning, with Willamette leading 5-4.
Whitman plays two of its last three weekend sets at home, starting next Saturday and Sunday against George Fox. Twinbills start both days at noon at Borleske Stadium.
It was long, trying day on the baseball diamond as Whitman absorbed a pair of one-sided losses, 20-1 and 23-3, to Willamette on Saturday at John Lewis Field in Salem, Ore. The host Bearcats evened their Northwest Conference record at 9-9 (13-14 overall). Whitman, with an injury-weaked pitching staff, slid to 2-24 on the season and 0-18 in conference.
The two teams complete their weekend series with two seven-inning games on Sunday. The first pitch is set for noon.
Willamette clubbed 27 hits, including six home runs, to finish off its doubleheader sweep. The Bearcats broke out the heavy lumber early in the game, putting 15 runs on the scoreboard in the first three innings.
Whitman tallied its first two runs in the top of the sixth. Mike Rathwell reached on an error and scooted to third base on a Jason Sease single to centerfield, with Sease taking second on the throw to third. Micah Babbitt's ground-out scored one run and Austin Shackelford singled home the second.
Whitman plated its third run in seventh. Chad Frisk walked, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored when Sease grounded out to third.
With its stable of healthy pitching arms at a season-low ebb, Whitman turned to a pair of sophomore outfielders, Brian Kitamura and Mitch Hannoosh, for the final four innings of mound duty. Kitamura had thrown just one-third of an inning this season prior to Saturday. Hannoosh got the last five outs in what his first trip to the hill in his two seasons with the team.
Willamette rapped 14 hits and accepted 20 base on balls in rolling over Whitman in the opener. After the Bearcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, Michael Lazcano's one-out single and Kitamura's walk gave Whitman a pair of base runners in the top of the third. But Jay Richards lined out to right field and the threat then died on a pop fly to first base.
With Willamette leading 4-0, Whitman loaded the bases in the top of the fourth frame on singles by Luke Marshall and Adam Knappe, followed by Dan White's two-out base on balls. The Missionaries again failed to score, however, when Bearcat starter Clint Moran got the final out of the inning on a groundball.
Willamette began pulling away with four more runs in its half of the fourth. In the Whitman fifth, Kitamura's lead-off walk and Babbitt's one-out single put two more Missionary runners aboard. Moran again escaped unscathed, getting the next two batters with a ground-out and strike-out.
The Bearcats erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, inflating their cushion to 15-0. Whitman finally broke through with its lone run in the top of the sixth. Knappe led off with his second single of the game, moved to second base on a Willamette error and scored on White's single to right field.
Whitman finished with eight hits but left 10 runners stranded. The Missionary infield turned four doubleplays.
Cracking a pair of home runs in both games, Lewis & Clark swept a Northwest Conference doubleheader from Whitman, 8-3 and 14-4, Sunday afternoon in Richland, Wash. The games were moved to Richland High School, about 60 miles west of Walla Walla, after overnight rain and snow left Whitman's Borleske Stadium field in unplayable condition.
Lewis & Clark, which broke open a close first game with a seventh-inning grand slam, ran its record to 9-15 on the season and 7-13 in the NWC. Whitman dropped to 2-22 and 0-16.
Jordan Shibata got Lewis & Clark off to a quick start in the opener, hitting a solo home run in the first inning and then poking an RBI-single as part of a three-run Pioneer third. After stranding four runners in the first three innings, Whitman cut its deficit in half with two runs in the fifth. Erik Korsmo reached on an error and scored when Jay Richards tripled to right field. Micah Babbitt followed with a run-scoring single to pull Whitman to within 4-2 on the scoreboard.
Whitman threatened again in the bottom of the sixth. After Luke Marshall singled, Nate Rankin and Jason Sease drew walks to load the bases with one out. But Pioneer freshman Tucker Laurence, who went the distance on the mound to keep his pitching record unblemished at 5-0, wriggled off the hook thanks to an inning-ending doubleplay.
In the top of the seventh, Lewis & Clark quickly loaded the bases with a double, base on balls, and bunt single. A.J. Brown then cleared the sacks with his second home run of the season, upping the Pioneer lead to 8-2.
In the bottom of the frame, a series of singles by Richards, Adam Knappe and Austin Shackelford produced a final Missionary run and had two runners aboard with just one out. Laurence held on, getting the final two outs on a flyball and ground-out.
Pete Stadmeyer went the distance on the hill for Whitman, keeping the Missionaries close until Brown's seventh-inning grand slam. Shibata, Sami Morgan and Michael Orr had two hits each for Lewis & Clark. Richards and Babbitt had a pair of hits for Whitman.
Chris Estrella's three-run homer in the third inning got the Lewis & Clark bats rolling in game two. He also stroked an RBI-single as the Pioneers added five runs in the fourth frame for a 9-1 lead.
Whitman's offense came to life with three runs in the sixth. With one out, Shackelford walked and later scored on Marshall's single to right. After Matt Morris-Rosenfeld walked, Michael Lazcano doubled home a second run. Brian Kitamura's ground-out pushed across the inning's final run.
Richards plated Whitman's first run in the third inning, reaching base on an error, moving to third on Babbitt's single, and scoring on Knappe's ground-out.
Brown whacked his second home run of the afternoon in the sixth inning. The 11-hit Pioneer attack made life easy for starter Jordon Smiley, who scattered three hits and four walks over six innings to get the win.
Whitman hits the road next weekend, playing a four-game set at Willamette in Salem, Ore. Lewis & Clark hosts Puget Sound next Saturday and Sunday.
Lewis & Clark did the bulk of its scoring in the late innings and swept a Northwest Conference twinbill from Whitman on Saturday, winning 12-5 and 12-4 in cold, windy conditions at Borleske Stadium.
The Pioneers, who trailed 4-3 in the opener before exploding for eight runs in the eighth inning, improved to 7-15 on the season and 5-13 in the NWC. Whitman slipped to 2-20 and 0-14.
Weather permitting, the two teams complete their weekend series on Sunday with a pair of seven-inning games at Borleske, starting at noon.
Whitman pushed across three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to grab a 4-3 lead in the opener. After Michael Lazcano led off with a single to right field, Brian Kitamura beat out a bunt single down the first base line. Freshman Jay Richards, stepping to the plate after Chad Friske's sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, lined a two-run double into the right-field corner. One batter later, Richards slid into third base on a wild pitch and scored on the same play when the catcher's throw skidded into left field.
The Missionary lead did not last long. The Pioneers used four hits, three walks and a pair of wild pitches to score eight times in the top of the eighth. Roland Greene doubled home two runs and Ryan Kostecka's triple to center field plated the inning's final two runs.
Whitman got a run back in the bottom of the eighth, cutting its deficit to 11-5. Adam Knappe singled with one out, took second base on an errant pick-off attempt by the Pioneer catcher, and scored on back-to-back infield singles by Lazcano and freshman Nate Rankin.
Lewis & Clark tallied the game's final run in the top of the ninth on doubles by Sami Morgan and Sam Holman. David La Douceur, the third Pioneer pitcher, got the last three outs to nail down the win.
Dan Meehan, a senior transfer from Trinity College, tossed the first seven innings for the Pioneers to pick up the win. Whitman senior Sam Thompson went six innings for the Missionaries, scattering three hits and seven walks. He surrendered three runs, only one of which was earned due to a two-out fielding error in the third inning.
Lazcano had three of Whitman's eight hits. The sophomore catcher also threw out a runner attempting to steal second base in the second inning.
Morgan, who scored three times for Lewis & Clark, paced a 10-hit Pioneer attack with three hits and a base on balls. Greene had two hits and three RBI for the winners.
After Whitman scored twice in the sixth inning to trail 4-3 in game two, Lewis & Clark pulled away with five runs in the top of the seventh. Chris Estrella triggered the outburst with a line-shot home run to left-center field. After the next three Pioneers walked, Jordan Shibata doubled home two more runs. Morgan's run-scoring sacrifice fly and A.J. Brown's RBI-double capped the big inning.
Rankin ignited Whitman's sixth-inning rally with his first college home run, a towering shot down the left-field line. A Pioneer fielding error, two ground-outs and a wild pitch gave Whitman a second run in the inning.
Whitman notched its first run in the third inning. Richards walked and Micah Babbitt singled to set the stage for Luke Marshall's RBI-single to center. The Missionaries added a final run in the bottom of the ninth when Richards doubled and scored on Knappe's single to left.
Alex St. Pierre, a Pioneer freshman, tossed the first six innings to get the win. Evan Fairmont hurled one-run ball over the final three inning to register the save. Brown and Neal Finch collected four hits apiece for Lewis & Clark, which finished with 17 hits.
Marshall had two of Whitman's eight hits. Austin Shackelford stroked a two-out double in the seventh inning but was left stranded. Matt Morris-Rosenfeld's single in the eighth frame was erased on an inning-ending doubleplay.
Pacific 5, Whitman 3
Pacific 7, Whitman 6
Bond Field, Forest Grove, Ore.
A long Saturday of baseball was one inning too long for Whitman as Pacific rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 7-6 victory in the fourth and final game of a weekend series at the new Chuck Bafaro Stadium in Forest Grove, Ore.
The day started with Pacific putting the finishing touches on a 9-3 victory in a game that was suspended Friday when a light tower behind home plate malfunctioned. Whitman was batting in the top of the eighth inning, trailing 8-2, when play was halted Friday.
In Saturday's two regularly scheduled games, Pacific nipped Whitman 5-3 in the opener and then rallied for its 7-6 win in game two. By sweeping the four-game series, Pacific improved to 11-9 on the season and 10-6 in the Northwest Conference. Whitman is 2-18 and 0-12.
Down 3-1 in the top of the seventh inning, Whitman erupted for five two-out runs to move within three outs of its first conference victory. The Missionaries loaded the bases when Chad Frisk and Nate Rankin drew walks and Austin Shackelford was hit by a pitch. Adam Knappe ignited a mini-hit parade with a two-run single, and Jay Richards tripled home two more runs. Mike Rathwell extended Whitman's lead to 6-3 with an RBI-single up the middle.
Whitman's hopes for victory slipped away in the bottom of the seventh. After Zach Gantenbein led off with a double, two hit-batters and a bases-loaded walk trimmed Pacific's deficit to 6-4. Korey Yost followed with a run-scoring single, a blooping pop-up to center field, and Brandon Kon completed the comeback by lining a two-run single to right field.
Whitman tallied its first run in the sixth inning when Rankin and Kanppe led off with back-to-back doubles. For the game, Whitman outhit its hosts 10-7. Knappe had three hits (plus a walk) while Shackelford and Rathwell chipped in with two hits each.
Sam Thompson, who started on the hill for Whitman, was nicked for three runs in the first two innings but then no-hit the Boxers for the next four innings. He gave way to the bullpen with two outs in the sixth.
In Saturday's first scheduled game, Pacific jumped to a 5-1 lead after two innings before Whitman made it close with two runs in the top of the fourth. Knappe singled to open the inning, advanced to second on a passed ball and took third on a Pacific fielding error. After Knapped scored on a ground-out, Michael Lazcano singled home another run.
Whitman threatened again in the sixth inning. With one out, singles by Shackelford and Rankin and a walk to Matt Morris-Rosenfeld loaded the bases. Pacific escaped unscathed, however, when it's infield turned a doubleplay.
Micah Babbitt gave Whitman its first run of the game in the first inning. He was hit by a pitch, took second on an error, stole third base and scored on a wild pitch.
After getting past the first two innings, Whitman starter Pete Stadmeyer held Pacific to two hits and no runs over his final four innings of work.
Friday's suspended game resumed at 1 p.m. Saturday with Whitman batting with one out in the top of the eighth inning, trailing 8-2. The Missionary eighth started Friday with Brian Kitamura and Babbitt drawing walks, setting the stage for a Jason Sease RBI-single. After Shackeford followed with a run-scoring double to right field, Pacific recorded an out a fielder's choice before the light tower behind home plate malfunctioned just before 8 p.m.
When the game resumed Saturday, Rankin drew a walk to load the bases and Knapped lifted an RBI-sacrifice fly to center field, cutting Pacific's lead to 8-3. The Boxers added a run in the bottom of the eighth, and Whitman was retired in order in the top of the ninth.
Shackelford had three of Whitman's seven hits in the game. Rathwell tossed the final two-and-one-third innings for Whitman, limiting Pacific to one run on four hits.
Whitman resumes NWC play when it hosts Lewis & Clark (5-15, 3-13) in a four-game series this weekend. Doubleheaders start at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.
Slugging 19 hits, including a pair of home runs, Pacific ran roughshod over Whitman 23-0 Friday afternoon in the first game ever played at the new Chuck Bafaro Stadium in Forest Grove, Ore.
In game two of the Northwest Conference twinbill, the Boxers led 8-2 in the top of the eighth inning when the game was suspended after a light tower malfunctioned behind home plate. The game will resume at 1 p.m. prior to the start of Saturday's doubleheader. Dedication ceremonies for the new stadium are slated for noon.
With Friday's opener still scoreless, Whitman loaded the bases in the top of the third inning. After Jason Sease reached base on a fielding error, Micah Babbitt drew a two-out walk and Chad Frisk was hit by a pitch. A ground-out stranded all three runners.
Pacific broke through in its half of the third, scoring four times on four hits. The Boxers added six more runs in the fourth and then exploded for nine runs in the sixth, four of which came on Joey Pulito's fourth home of the season, a grand-slam shot to right field.
Sease, a sophomore who had three of Whitman's five hits, ripped a lead-off double in the fifth frame and quickly advanced to third base on a balk. Matt Morris-Rosenfeld followed with a base on balls, but Mike Rathwell lined into an unassisted doubleplay at third to defuse the Missionary threat.
Austin Shackelford, also a sophomore, was left standed after doubling with two outs in the Whitman sixth. In the top of the ninth, Shackelford walked and Sease poked a two-out single up the middle. The game and Whitman's last scoring opportunity came to a close on a flyball to left field.
Pacific elevated its record to 8-9 on the season and 7-6 in the NWC. Whitman slipped to 2-15 and 0-9.
Linfield took sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference baseball standings by taking both ends of a twinbill from Whitman on Sunday, outscoring the Missionaries 13-4 and 10-0 at Borleske Stadium.
The Wildcats, who entered Sunday's slate tied for first place with George Fox, elevated their record to 14-3 overall and 10-2 in the NWC. George Fox split a pair of Sunday games with Willamette to fall into second place.
Whitman slipped to 2-14 on the season and 0-8 in conference action.
Senior shortstop David Bachnofer doubled home a run in the first inning and rapped singles in his next two at-bats as Linfield bolted to an 8-0 lead after its first four trips to the plate. Whitman dented the scoring column in the home half of the fourth when Austin Shackelford drew a base on balls, Luke Marshall reached on a two-base throwing error, and Matt Morris-Rosenfeld capitalized with a two-run single up the middle.
Any hopes for Whitman comeback faded when the Wildcats tacked on five runs in the top of the fifth. Four walks set the table, and designated hitter Robert Vaughn capped the inning with a three-run homer to left field.
Linfield starter Reese McCulley, who tossed five innings to get the win, had his own touch of wildness in the bottom of the fifth. After Adam Knappe singled and Micah Babbitt drew a walk, McCulley hit Shackelford and Dan White to force home a run. Whitman tallied its final run in the seventh when Jay Richards and Chad Frisk drew free free passes and a Wildcat infield throwing error sent Richards scurrying across home plate.
Knappe had two of Whitman's three hits. Linfield's Drew Van Cleave had two hits, including a two-run double, and Steve Davis had a pair of singles in his only two at-bats.
Chris Barton, a Whitman freshman sidelined by injury in recent weeks, made a brief appearance on the mound in relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth inning.
Much of the suspense in game two disappeared quickly when Linfield took advantage of two Whitman defensive lapses to score seven unearned runs in the top of the first. With two outs, Vaughn reached on an infield throwing error that kept the inning alive. After Kevin Mills singled home two runs and Mitch Webb was hit by a pitch, Jordan Boustead was credited with a two-run double when his routine flyball fell untouched between two Whitman outfielders.
Meanwhile, three Wildcat hurlers held Whitman's offense to three hits - singles by Babbitt, Frisk and Nate Rankin. Cameron Larson got the win for Linfield, giving up two hits and fanning five over the first five innings.
Whitman starter Sam Thompson fell victim to Whitman's first-inning defensive woes but struck out four over three innings. Jason Sease threw four innings of good relief for the Missionaries, giving up just two runs (one earned) on five hits.
Linfield got two hits each from Boustead, Rhett Fenton, Shannon Chung and Eric Evenson. Bachnofer drew three walks.
Whitman hits the road next week, playing a four-game series Friday and Saturday at Pacific. Linfield hosts Puget Sound for four games on the same two days.
It wasn't easy, but Linfield swept a pair Northwest Conference baseball games from Whitman Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium, winning 5-0 and 3-2 to move into a share of first place in league standings.
The Wildcats, who got a complete game one-hitter from Brian Clark in the opener, improved to 8-2 in the NWC and 12-3 overall. Linfield and George Fox head to Sunday's play in a first-place tie.
The losses dropped Whitman to 2-12 and 0-6. The Missionaries and Linfield complete their weekend series with a pair of seven-inning games starting at noon Sunday at Borleske.
Linfield senior Brian Clark and Whitman sophomore Sean Day were locked in a pitcher's duel for much of game one. The Wildcats grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Steve Arntz laced a two-out, two-run triple into the right-field corner. With two outs in the eighth frame, Linfield's Drew Van Cleave clubbed a two-run home run to left field, and the next hitter, Rhett Fenton, ripped a solo shot to stake Clark to a 5-0 cushion.
Clark allowed just one base runner (a first-inning base on balls to Austin Shackelford) through the first eight innings. After pinch hitter Jay Richards drew a one-out walk to open the Whitman ninth, Micah Babbitt spoiled Clark's no-hit bid with a ringing double down the left-field line.
For a moment, it looked as if Babbitt's two-bagger would put a Whitman run on the scoreboard. But when Richards stopped after making a wide turn at third base, the relay throw from the outfield caught him in no-man's land, turning him into the inning's second out. Clark then recorded the final out on a flyball to put the finishing touches on a fine performance that included five strike-outs.
Day also turned in a strong effort on the mound, scattering eight hits while giving up all five runs on two-out hits. His Whitman battery mate, senior catcher Mike Rathwell, had a good day behind the plate, throwing out both Wildcat runners who tried to steal second base.
Not to be outdone, sophomore hurlers Garrett Dorn for Linfield and Joe Rodhouse for Whitman stayed in charge for most of game two. With two outs in the second inning, the Wildcats scratched out a run thanks to an infield fielding error, stolen base and Ty Stanley's double to left field. Later, in the sixth inning, Kevin Mills whacked a bases-empty home run to left to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Dorn was almost perfect on the hill through six innings, surrendering only a second-inning walk to Richards. His no-hit bid and shutout flew away in the bottom of the seventh, however, when Whitman sophomore Jason Sease knocked his first college round-tripper over the left-field fence.
Whitman made it 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the eighth. After Matt Morris-Rosenfield led off with a single up the middle, pinch-runner Chad Frisk scooted to second base courtesy of Michael Lazcano's sacrifice bunt. Richards drew another base on balls, and a ground-out moved both Missionary runners into scoring position. With two outs, Frisk scored from third on a wild pitch.Jordan Boustead got the Wildcats rolling in the top of the ninth, leading off with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch put Boustead on third base, he scored what proved to be the winning on Shannon Chung's single to center field.
Whitman nearly tied the game again in the bottom of the ninth. Shackelford singled with one out, stole second base on a missed hit-and-run play, and slipped into third on a ground-out to shortstop. But Linfield reliever Robert Vaughn nailed down the Wildcat victory with a game-ending strike-out. Vaughn and Dorn fanned 11 hitters in all while giving up just three hits and two walks.
Rodhouse and Rathwell, who tossed the final two innings for Whitman, were almost as impressive for the the Missionaries. They scattered six hits and five base on balls.
Michael Olsen's two-out, three-run homer in third inning erased an early Whitman lead and sparked Puget Sound to a pair of seven-inng Northwest Conference baseball victories Sunday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash.
The Loggers won the opener 8-2 and took the nightcap 10-3, improving to 8-3 on the season and 6-2 in the NWC. Whitman slipped to 2-10 and 0-4.
Whitman scored twice in the top of the third inning to give the Missionaries a 2-1 lead in game one. Senior Adam Knappe led off with single, took second base on sophomore Brian Kitamura's sacrifice bunt, and scored when sophomore Jason Sease singled to left field. Two more singles, by sophomore Austin Shackelford and senior Luke Marshall, gave Whitman its second run and knocked Puget Sound starter Tim Fogarty from the game.
The Missionary lead did not last long. Whitman starter Pete Stadmeyer hit the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the inning, setting the table for Olsen's sixth home run of the season.
Neither side scored until the Puget Sound offense broke through after two were out in the sixth inning. The Loggers used four hits, three stolen bases and a hit-batter to score four times.
Shackelford had two of Whitman's six hits. Freshman Nate Rankin added a two-out, pinch-hit single in the Missionary seventh.
Puget Sound rapped five hits and capitalized on three Whitman errors to score six runs in the first two innings of Sunday's second game. One of those Logger hits was Joe Newland's fourth round-tripper of the season, a two-run shot to left field.
Whitman scored all three of its runs in the top of the sixth. The Missionaries loaded the bases when junior Dan White and sophomore Michael Lazcano drew walks on either side of a pinch-hit single by sophomore Joe Rodhouse. Senior Chad Friske then cleared the bases with a pinch-hit double into the right-field corner.
Senior Chad Friske and freshman Jay Richards also had hits for Whitman.
Whitman, which has played its first 12 games on the road, has its first home games next weekend when it hosts Linfield in a four-game NWC series at Borleske Stadium. Two nine-inning games are set to start at noon Saturday, to be followed at noon Sunday with two seven-inning games.
Whitman opened its Northwest Conference baseball season by dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Puget Sound Saturday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash. The Loggers won the first game 8-4 and cruised to a 14-1 victory in the nightcap.
The losses dropped Whitman to 2-8 on the season. Puget Sound, which split four conference games with Whitworth last weekend, improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the NWC.
The two teams play a pair of seven-inning games on Sunday, starting at 11 a.m.
Down 6-1 after four innings, Whitman tallied single runs in three of its last four at-bats to make to make the final score close. Freshman Erik Korsmo plated the final Missionary run after leading off the ninth inning with a single to center field. Korsmo took second base on a passed ball and later scored on freshman Nate Rankin's ground-out.
Puget Sound jumped in front 3-0 in the first inning, capitalizing on two hits, three hit-batters and a base on balls. Whitman picked up its first run in the top of the second inning when senior Luke Marshall reached on an error, advanced to second base on Matt Morris-Rosenfeld's single and then scored on a fielder's choice.
Sophomores Micah Babbitt, Jason Sease and Austin Shackelford led off the sixth inning with three consecutive singles to give Whitman its second run. In the eighth, Babbitt drew a one-out walk, moved to third on a Sease single and Shackelford base on balls, and scored on Marshall ground-out to second base.
Sease collected three of Whitman's eight hits. Mike Rathwell also had a single for the Missionaries.
Sophomore Sean Day went the distance on the mound for Whitman but was hurt by his lack of command. Day hit five batters and walked four.
The Loggers pounded out 16 hits against two Whitman pitchers, scoring three runs in the first inning and six more in the third frame, to turn Saturday's second game in a rout. Meanwhile, Whitman managed just three hits against three Puget Sound hurlers.
Whitman pushed across its only run in the fifth inning when Marshall walked, took second base on a wild pitch and scored on Korsmo's single. Freshman Jay Richards and sophomore Michael Lazcano had Whitman's other two hits.
With its victory bid falling just short in the opener, Whitman dropped a pair of non-conference baseball decisions Sunday afternoon to NCAA Div. II Central Washington in Ellensburg, Wash. The Wildcats rallied to win the first game 10-9 before running away for a 12-1 victory in game two. Whitman's non-conference record slid to 2-6 as Central Washington upped its season mark to 7-8.
The Missionaries nearly pulled out a victory in game one, scoring three times in the top of the ninth inning to grab a 9-8 lead. After Erik Korsmo was hit by a pitch and Michael Lazcano and Jay Richards drew free passes to load the bases, Micah Babbitt was plunked to force home a run and keep the bases jammed. Adam Knappe followed with a two-run single to center, but the Wildcats escaped further damage by turning an inning-ending double play.
A base on balls and hit-batter, followed by a double-steal, set the stage for Central Washington's game-winning rally in the bottom of the ninth. After John Lobbestael's one-out single made it 9-9, Tyler Scoggin's two-out single to right field plated the winning run.
With junior lefty Pete Stadmeyer throwing four strong innings, Whitman took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Babbitt reached on an error, scooted to third on Lazcano's single and scored on Shackelford's double to right.
Central Washington evened the slate at 1-1 in the bottom of third, but Whitman regained the lead with a run in the top of the fourth. Matt Morris-Rosenfeld singled, moved third on a wild pitch and Sean Day's single, and scored on Korsmo's double down the left-field line.
Whitman extended its lead to 4-1 with two runs in the fifth. After Babbitt led off with a single and Knappe was hit by a pitch, Shackelford singled through the right side to plate Babbitt and advance Knappe to third. Luke Marshall's sacrifice fly deep scored Knappe.
Central Washington cut its deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Whitman responded with two more runs in the top of the sixth. After Korsmo reached on an error and Lazcano walked, Brian Kitamura and Babbitt followed with run-scoring singles.
Facing a 6-3 deficit, Central Washington kept its offensive churning, notching five more runs in its next three at-bats to take an 8-6 lead into the ninth inning.
In his four innings on the hill, Stadmeyer held the Wildcats to just three hits and one run while walking three and fanning two. Thanks to double-plays by the Missionary infield, he faced just three batters in both the first and fourth innings.
Babbitt led the Missionary offense, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI from the lead-off spot. Knappe, Shackelford and Korsmo added two hits each. Knappe and Shackelord knocked in two runs apiece, and Korsmo scored a pair.
Whitman scorded its only run of the nightcap when Mike Rathwell led off the third inning with a single, took second base on Kitamura's bunt single, and scored on a Chad Friske single through the left side. That sliced Central Washington's lead to 3-1.
All game-two suspense disipated when the Wildats combined seven hits with two Whitman errors to score nine runs in the fourth frame. The game was halted after six-and-a-half innings.
Trygve Madsen and Joe Rodhouse each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Whitman, striking out one batter apiece. Shackelford, Jason Sease and Mitch Hannoosh had Whitman's other hits.
Whitman travels to Tacoma, Wash., next weekend to kick off Northwest Conference play against Puget Sound. Two nine-inning games are set for Saturday, to be followed by two seven-inning games on Sunday. The start time both days is 11 a.m.
With three Whitman pitchers showing an early season lack of command, Puget Sound pulled away from a 4-3 lead and pinned an 11-3 defeat on the Missionaries Sunday afternoon at the Jim Doran Auto Group Spring Classic baseball tournament at Roy Helser Field in McMinnville, Ore.
The loss dropped Whitman to 2-4 on the season while Puget Sound improved to 2-1.
Stranding four runners on base, Whitman fell behind 4-1 after two innings, getting its lone run on back-to-back doubles from junior Dan White and senior Adam Knappe in the bottom of the second. The Missionaries made it 4-3 in the third on the strength of freshman Nate Rankin's two-run double. Sophomore Austin Shackelford singled and senior Luke Marshall reached on an infield error to set the table for Rankin's big blow to right field.
Puget Sound tacked on two runs in the fourth and made it 7-3 with a single run in the fifth. Aided by two hit-batters, a base on balls and a wild pitch, the Loggers broke the game open with three more runs in the sixth. Two Missionary pitchers issued a series of four walks in the eighth inning to force home a final Puget Sound run.
In all, the Loggers capitalized on nine walks, five hit-batters and four wild pitches. At the offensive end, Whitman rapped nine hits -- one more than Puget Sound -- but also left a total of 11 runners stranded. Knappe, Marshall and senior Mike Rathwell had two hits each for the Missionaries. Sophomore Joe Rodhouse lifted two sacrifice flies to center in his first two at-bats.
Whitman plays its final two non-conference games when it travels to Ellensburg, Wash., next Sunday for two games against NCAA Div. II Central Washington.
A 15-hit attack that included three home runs powered Portland's Concordia University to a 13-3 victory over Whitman Saturday evening in the Jim Doran Auto Group Spring Classic at Roy Helser Field in McMinnville, Ore.
Concordia, an NAIA school, improved to 2-3 on the season while Whitman slipped to 2-3.
The Cavaliers scored six runs in the first two innings and extended their lead to 11-0 by the time Whitman came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. After sophomore Micah Babbitt doubled and freshman Jay Richards walked to lead off the inning, sophomore Austin Shackelford knocked his third home run of the season off the right-field scoreboard.
Richards, who drew two walks, also poked one of Whitman's three singles. Sophomores Sean Day and Michael Lazcano had the other two.
Whitman plays its final game of the tournament at 11 a.m. Sunday, facing Puget Sound.
Linfield, picked in a preseason poll to win this spring's Northwest Conference baseball title, slipped past Whitman 7-3 Friday evening in the Jim Doran Auto Group Spring Classic at Roy Helser Field in McMinnville, Ore.
Garrett Dorn, a sophomore right-hander, tossed seven scoreless innings for Linfield, holding Whitman hitless while fanning eight, walking one and hitting one batter. Dorn, who underwent shoulder surgery in the off season, had the Wildcats in front 7-0 when he turned the game over to his bullpen at the start of the eighth, and Whitman promptly rallied for its three runs.
After sophomore Jason Sease and freshman Erik Korsmo led off with with a pair of walks, sophomore Michael Lazcano loaded the bases with a single to left field that also broke up the no-hitter. Freshman Nate Rankin's ground-out plated one run, and sophomore Micah Babbitt drove home another with a sacrifice fly to right field. After freshman Jay Richards drew another base on balls, Lazcano scored from third base on a balk to make it 7-3.
Sophomore Austin Shackelford kept the inning alive by drawing a fourth base on balls, but senior Joshua Guterman, Linfield's second relief pitcher of the inning, got the final out on a groundball to third base. Guterman also set down the side in order in the ninth to nail down the victory.
Pete Stadmeyer, a junior left-hander, started on the mound for Whitman and threw a perfect first three innings before running into some tough luck in the fourth. The Wildcats scored two runs on four singles (two of them bunts), one error and a Wildcat double-steal.
Linfield tacked on a a single run in the fifth and broke the game open with four runs in the sixth. David Bachofner's two-run home run was the big blow in that inning.
The loss, which does not count in the NWC standings, dropped Whitman to 2-2 on the season. Linfield upped its early record to 3-0.
Whitman plays a second tournament game, squaring off against NAIA-affiliated Concordia, at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Missionaries then wrap up their weekend with an 11 a.m. Sunday game against Puget Sound.
In Friday's other tournament game, Puget Sound slipped past Concordia 9-8 in 11 innings.
Scoring a total of 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, Whitman rallied past Occidental College 11-10 on Sunday in the rubber game of a season-opening, three-game weekend baseball series in Los Angeles, Calif.
After splitting a pair of games Saturday, Whitman found itself trailing 7-1 on Sunday before erupting for seven runs in the seventh inning. Occidental regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame, but Whitman moved back in front to stay with three more runs in the eighth.
Mike Rathwell, senior who tossed two innings in relief to get the win in Saturday's second game, got the final four outs on Sunday to run his early mound record to 2-0.
Occidental contributed to its demise by committing three errors and issuing four walks during Whitman's seventh-inning uprising. Whitman had just three hits in the inning, one of them an RBI-single by sophomore Michael Lazcano. Juniors Dan White and Matt Morris-Rosenfeld also had singles and freshman Erik Korsmo lifted a run-scoring sacrifice fly to left field.
In the Whitman eighth, two more Occidental errors and singles by sophomore Micah Babbitt and freshman Jay Richards set the table for RBI-doubles by Korsmo and senior Luke Marshall.
With the bases loaded, two out and Whitman clinging to its 11-10 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Rathwell came out of the bullpen to get the inning's final out on a flyball to right field.
Occidental's Richard Veihl led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, his third hit of the game, stole second base with one out and advanced to third on a groundout. Rathwell then got the final out on a pop-up to Lazcano, Whitman's catcher.
Marshall, Lazcano and Korsmo had two hits each for Whitman. Occidental outhit Whitman 18-12 but left 19 runners stranded on base.
Whitman's next games are Feb. 22-24 in a tournament hosted by Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.
Matt Morris-Rosenfeld rapped a run-scoring single in the top of the 10th inning to lift Whitman to a 5-4 victory over Occidental College Saturday afternoon in the nightcap of a season-opening baseball twinbill in Los Angeles, Calif.
Whitman, which lost the opener 6-3, was down 4-2 before senior Luke Marshall evened the slate with a two-run double in the eighth inning. In the top of the 10th, lead-off hitter Chad Frisk was plunked with a pitch and took second base on Micah Babbitt's sacrifice bunt. Austin Shackelford was intentionally walked and Marshall singled to right field, but Frisk was thrown out a third base for the second out of the inning. That's when Morris-Rosenfeld singled up the middle to give Whitman its 5-4 lead.
Senior Mike Rathwell pitched the final two innings for Whitman to pick up the win. Occidental threatened in the bottom of the 10th, however, when Glenn Gray led offf with a single and advanced to second on a flyball out. With two outs, Patrick Sarkissian's infield single to shortstop moved Gray to third base. Rathwell then fanned the final hitter to nail down the victory and pick up the save.
Sean Day, a sophomore, tossed the first eight innings for Whitman, holding the Tigers to just six hits.
As he did in game one of the doubleheader, Shackelford homered to right field to get Whitman on the scoreboard in the first inning. After Occidental hit two solo shots in the bottom of the first, Whitman knotted the score at 2-2 with a run in the top of the third. Freshman Jay Richards doubled to left, took third base on Babbitt's infield single and scored on Shackelford's infield out.
Occidental answered with single runs in the third and seventh innings to take its 4-2 lead. Babbitt singled and Shackelford walked to set the stage of Marshall's two-run double in the eighth.
Shackelford finished with two hits, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored.
Whitman and Occidental wrap up their three-game series with a single game at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Leaving the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Whitman opened its spring baseball season with a 6-3 loss to Occidental College Saturday morning in Los Angeles, Calif. A second game between the two clubs is set for later this afternoon, followed by a third game Sunday morning.
With the sun shining and tempertures rising into the low 80s, Whitman plated its first run of the season when sophomore Austin Shackelford homered to right field in the top of the first. Occidental, also playing its first game of the season, used a base on balls, stolen base and RBI-single to even the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning.
The Tigers, who were 17-23 a year ago, parlayed a walk, hit-batter, two hits and two Whitman errors to grab a 3-1 lead in the third frame. After stranding two runners in both the sixth and eighth innings, Whitman headed to the ninth with a 6-1 deficit. Senior Luke Marshall singled and junior Matt Morris-Rosenfeld and sophomore Jason Sease drew free passes to load the bases with one out. After senior Adam Knappe's two-out infield single scored a pair of Missionary runs, sophomore Brian Kitamura walked to reload the bases. Whitman's comeback hopes fizzled when Occidental reliever Nick Smallman came out of the bullpen to get the final out with a strike-out.
Whitman, whose outside practice time in the preseason had been limited to parts of two days due to cold, wet weather in Walla Walla, finished with seven hits, two by sophomore Micah Babbitt. Junior Pete Stadmeyer pitched the first three innings for Whitman, giving up two earned runs on three hits. Sophomore Joe Rodhouse tossed the final five innings, scattering seven hits.
Whitman turned four infield doubleplays to help offset six errors and 10 Occidental hits.