SALEM, Ore. – The bottom of the ninth and extra innings were unkind to the Missionaries for the second day in a row as Whitman College was again three outs away from a win only to have host Willamette University capitalize on a free base runner to plate the tying run and capture a win in extra innings. Sunday's Northwest Conference baseball battle went to the Bearcats, 4-3, in 11 innings.
Whitman (1-6, 0-3 NWC) led Willamette (10-0, 3-0) by a score of 3-0 through six-and-a-half innings before surrendering a run.
Anthony Lim poked a one-out single through the left side in the top of the first to set the table for Whitman's first runs.
Adrian Vela moved Lim over a base with a ground-out to third from where Lim was easily able to score on
Peter Carmichael's single up the middle.
Paul Heywood followed by mashing a double into left field that allowed Carmichael to come all the way around from first for a quick 2-0 lead.
Lim and Heywood figured in the Missionaries' third run as well. Lim led off the inning and got himself on via an error by the Bearcats' second baseman. Willamette starting pitcher Ty Watt induced the next pair of batters into pop-ups bringing Heywood up to the plate. For the second time in the game Heywood lashed an RBI-double, this one to right field, allowing the speedy Lim to score from first and padding the Whitman lead.
Willamette battled back with a run in the bottom of the seventh but still trailed by a pair, 3-1, entering the bottom of the ninth.
Saturday Whitman found itself in a similar situation, leading 2-1 and three outs away from victory, but the Bearcats scratched for the tying run in the bottom of ninth and then the winning tally in the bottom of the 10th to capture the opener of a doubleheader.
Sunday couldn't deal Whitman the same fate. Only it did.
The first Willamette batter, Gordie Clary, opened the ninth by reaching first after being hit by a pitch from reliever
John Lyon, who took over from starter
Will Thompson to start the ninth. Clary opened the door for the home team and they were able to push two runs across the plate off Lyon to send the game into extra innings.
Whitman couldn't gain a base runner in the 10th but a Carmichael one-out single to center field in the top of the 11th put the potential winning run on base. First base would be as far as Carmichael would get, though.
A lead-off single in the bottom of the frame followed by another hit batter made things dangerous for Whitman. A bunt single loading the bases ignited a fire, and a walk-off single down the left-field line finally ended it, sending the Willamette bench racing onto the field for the second time in three games against the forlorn Missionaries.
Thompson handcuffed the Willamette batters early and left after eight solid innings of work on the hill, allowing only the one run on four hits and a walk while fanning five. Lyon took the loss for the Missionaries, surrendering three runs on four hits, two walks and two hit batters while striking out two.
The home opener looms ahead for Whitman with rival Whitworth University coming to town for a three-game set. Saturday's doubleheader at Borleske Stadium is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and Sunday's single game is slated for a noon start.
