Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SALEM, Ore. – It was a rough day at John Lewis Field for Whitman College as host Willamette University swept the visiting Missionaries, 3-2 and 15-2, in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader that opened league play for both teams Saturday afternoon.

Whitman (1-5, 0-2 NWC) surrendered the tying run in the bottom of the ninth and the winning run in the bottom of the tenth in Game 1, then fell behind early to the undefeated Bearcats (9-0, 2-0) and weren't able to recover in the nightcap.

The day started well for Whitman as it broke on top with a run in the top half of the first inning in the opener. Shortstop Adrian Vela rapped out an infield single with two outs ,and moved to second when second baseman Peter Carmichael worked Bearcats starting pitcher Peter Hoffman for a walk. Third baseman Paul Heywood lofted a single into center field to bring Vela home from second and to push Carmichael to third. An infield error allowed designated hitter John Lyon to reach safely and move Heywood to second, but Carmichael wasn't able to come home which would prove costly as Hoffman was able to get out of the bases loaded jam with an infield ground out.

The Missionaries' second run came in the fourth, also with two outs. Right fielder Court Osborn reached on an infield single then move to second on a walk to center field Jonny Chow. Left fielder Anthony Lim singled through the left side to bring in Osborn but he and Chow were left stranded when Hoffman induced a long out to center field by Vela.

Whitman starting pitcher Robert Maislin had sailed through the first three innings, allowing only a walk against four strikeouts. The start of the fourth proved troublesome as he opened by hitting Rolenn Himuro who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A single followed by an RBI-double by Gordie Clary trimmed the Missionaries lead in half but Maislin finished off the frame without allowing any more damage.

Neither team worked a base runner past second base over the next four innings with the ninth looming as Whitman clung to its narrow 2-1 advantage. The Missionaries put a runner on in the top of the inning but the two-out threat ended quickly with an inning-ending ground out.

Maislin had given way to reliever Garrett Atkinson to start the eighth inning and the move worked well in that frame. However, Atkinson walked the lead-off hitter in the bottom of the ninth and it proved to be his undoing as the runner eventually came around to score the tying run on a bases loaded ground-out to second base with Braden Hussey on the mound for Whitman.

Misfortune at the lead-off position was even more damaging in the bottom of the 10th. Henry Lin had taken over for Hussey in the ninth and started the 10th by surrendering an infield single. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second where he easily scored on a walk-off, two-out single down the right field line.

There were no dramatics in Game 2 as Willamette scored four runs, three of which were unearned, off Whitman starter Jack Coppinger in the bottom of the first. Three earned runs in the the second put an early end to Coppinger's day, and the Whitman bats were stifled by Bearcats starter Connor Loar who limited the Missionaries to two runs over six innings of work in earning the win.

Lim, Vela, Carmichael, Heywood and Lin each collected a hit during Game 2 for the M's. Lim and Hussey notched RBI singles during the loss.

Whitman finishes off the three-game set at Willamette Sunday afternoon with a noontime single game.