PARKLAND, Wash. - Sunday's Northwest Conference game between Whitman College and Pacific Lutheran University came down to the final inning; unfortunately the ball did not roll Whitman's way. After leading by as many as three runs, the Missionaries were unable to hold off the Lute charge in the final innings, eventually falling 5-4.
Entering the ninth inning, Whitman (9-17, 4-8 NWC) and PLU (12-12, 8-7) were tied at four apiece. After
Joseph Zimmer reached on a single to center field, the Missionaries had the go-ahead run on base. Zimmer later stole second, but that is as far as he would get as the half inning concluded with the score all knotted at 4-4.
The Lutes led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and a walk and quickly had the game-winning run in scoring position with just one out. After a hit batter loaded the bases for PLU, Kyler Blades singled to right center to bring in the game-winner, sealing the come-from-behind victory.
After an early blemish, pitcher
Nick Johnson was sharp the rest of the way on the mound. The junior threw 6.2 innings, surrendering just two earned runs and seven hits. Zimmer stayed hot at the plate, hitting 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Johnson collected a hit and a run in the contest and both
Paul Heywood and
Anthony Lim added RBIs.
Jake Wishart, who reached base two times Sunday, eventually came around to score on both occasions.
Whitman fell behind early as the Lutes grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Whits answered in the second. Johnson helped himself out in the inning with a lead-off double down the left field line and was later brought home by a
Paul Heywood single to center.
In the third inning,
Lucas Thrun walked and Wishart's bunt single put the Missionaries in a good position. Zimmer delivered with one out in the inning connecting on a double to left field that scored two runners and extended the Whitman lead to two.
Anthony Lim singled to center field in the top of the seventh and scored Wishart who had walked earlier in the inning. That put the lead at three for Whitman, as the team looked poised to get out of Parkland with a 2-1 series win. However, the Lutes bats came alive in the seventh inning and PLU clawed their way back into the game.
After Pacific Lutheran added two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, Whitman found itself in a 4-4 deadlock. In the ninth inning, the Lutes continued to attack at the plate where they would bring in the game winning run with a single to right center.
The next game for the Missionaries will be on Tuesday, March 22 at Borleske Stadium against Whitworth University in a double-header set to begin at 3:00 p.m.
