WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Anthony Lim knocked in three base-runners in a three-hit afternoon and starting pitcher Will Thompson scattered eight hits in earning the win Sunday as Whitman College sank visiting Whitworth University, 5-2, in Northwest Conference baseball action under sunny skies at Borleske Stadium.

Sunday's victory was the first for the Missionaries (2-8, 1-5 NWC) in league play while the Pirates (7-4, 2-1) lost their first conference game.

Thompson (2-0) made one mistake early, surrendering a one-out triple to Whitworth's Jeremy Druffel in the top of the second inning. The next batter up, designated hitter Thomas Wakem, made it easy for Druffel to jog home for the first run of the game, poking a Thompson serving out into right field for an RBI single. Though Wakem moved up on a stolen base Thompson shut down the threat of another run, keeping the ball within the infield for the final two outs.

Trailing 1-0 the Missionaries went at Whitworth starter Cory Mack in the bottom of the inning. Michael Harned drew a one-out walk to put the tying run on base then moved to third on Tristan Cates' double down the left-field line.

Mack induced an infield pop-up for the second out but that brought the top of the order up for Whitman. Adrian Vela -- who bashed his first collegiate home run Saturday against the Pirates -- was intentionally walked to load the bases but the move back-fired as Anthony Lim found the gap in left-center field for a three-RBI double that cleared the bases and wrested the lead away from Whitworth.

Whitman wasn't able to push any more runs across the plate in the inning but with Thompson handling the Pirates hitters as he was, the 3-1 lead was a nice cushion.

Thompson rolled through three scoreless innings, while his teammates rang up two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, before Whitworth could muster up another challenge. It scored once in the top of the sixth but Thompson induced a bases-loaded ground out to Vela at shortstop to quash the remaining threat.

It looked as if the Pirates might have something going off Thompson in their half of the seventh but an inning-ending double play, with Lim registering the first out on a fly ball to left then unleashing a throw to second that doubled-off Whitworth's Skyler Lookabill, ended that threat.

Henry Lin came out of the bullpen to start the eighth and struck out two while walking one without allowing a hit to earn the save.

Vela continues to generate runs -- Saturday he scored twice in Game 2 of a doubleheader after reaching on errors both times -- scoring twice again Sunday after working for a pair of walks. Paul Heywood collected the other two RBIs for Whitman with his one-out single through the left side in the fourth that brought home Vela and Lim.

Mack (0-2) took the loss for Whitworth, surrendering five runs on five hits and six walks over three and 1/3 innings of work. Thompson allowed the two runs on eight hits and three walks while fanning one over seven innings to pick up his second win of the season.

Whitman steps out of conference action for its next outing, a doubleheader at the College of Idaho on March 10.