Box Score TUCSON, Ariz. - Whitman College baseball won its fourth consecutive game with Monday morning's 10-4 victory over Aurora (Ill.) University as the Missionaries made the Spartans pay for their miscues, taking advantage several times to score seven unearned runs in the Whitties' final game at the Tucson Invitational.
The win lifts Whitman's overall record to 7-13 after compiling a 4-1 mark in the desert. Aurora, which is just starting its slate of games at the Invitational, slips to 3-3.
Leading the way at the plate for the Missionaries was
Joseph Zimmer who's 5-for-5 day extended an at-bat streak of 15 consecutive hits. Zimmer collected four RBI in Monday's game and scored twice, including the game's first run.
Zimmer's double to start the game turned into a quick 1-0 lead for the Missionaries after an error by the Aurora third baseman allowed Zimmer to score on
Jake Wishart's bunt single. Zimmer led off the top of the third but was erased on the base paths with Wishart's fielder's choice. Another error at third base on
Adrian Vela's grounder allowed Wishart to reach third, from where he scored on
Paul Heywood's ground out to the shortstop.
The Spartan's halved their deficit in the bottom of the fourth then pulled even with one more run in the sixth, only to see the game slip away in the top of the seventh.
Whitman pushed across two earned and five unearned runs on a pair of singles, two walks, a sacrifice grounder, two hit batters and two errors. The Spartans tried to chip away late, scoring a pair of unearned runs inthe bottom of the seventh, but relievers
Steven Ainsworth and
Sean Cunningham finished off the game for starter
John Lyon to close out the victory.
Lyon (1-1) earned the win on the mound for Whitman, going 4.2 innings allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four. Ainsworth's stay lasted 3 and 1/3, Aurora picking up two unearned and one earned run off Ainsworth, and Cunningham pitched the bottom of the ninth without allowing a run.
Vela and
Jasper Crusberg chipped in at the plate with two hits apiece while Heywood, Crusberg,
Milo Mincin and
Court Osborn each registered one RBI.
The Whitties return home after the game and will prepare for a weekend visit from George Fox University. The Missionaries will host the Bruins in a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday and then a single game Sunday starting at noon.
