FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Whitman College came up empty handed Saturday afternoon against Pacific University in Northwest Conference baseball action. The Whits dropped a 9-2 decision in the early game and nearly knocked off the Boxers in game two before eventually falling, 2-1 in 11 innings. While Whitman was unable to collect a win in games one or two, they can take away several positives from the day.
After surrendering nine runs in game one, the Whits held the NWC's third-ranked team to just two runs in 11 innings in game two. Game one also saw just six hits for Whitman, while the total in game two reached 10. Unfortunately, the Whits were unable to convert hits into runs, leaving 10 runners stranded in the day's second game.
Most of the damage at the plate came from the bottom half of the Whitman lineup as
Patrick Stanton,
Cole Edwards,
Jasper Crusberg and
Tyler Lewis combined for 10 of the 16 Whitman hits on the day. Stanton's four hits in six appearances led the Whits, while Lewis, Edwards and Crusberg collected two hits apiece.
John Lyon pitched seven spectacular innings in game two allowing just six hits and one run while only walking four.
Milo Mincin relived Lyon in the seventh inning retiring two of the three batters he faced before turning it over to
Garrett Atkinson who allowed just one run in 2.2 innings on the mound.
After grabbing a 1-0 lead from the Boxers in the second inning of game two, the Whits relied heavily on the arm of Lyon who continued to keep Pacific off the scoreboard until the seventh inning. Crusberg's single up the middle scored Edwards in the top of the second, which proved to be the game's lone run through the first six innings.
In the bottom of the seventh Pacific tied things up with two hits and a sacrifice bunt. As the game wore on, the score remained deadlocked at 1-1. Opportunity knocked for Whitman in the top of the 11th, after back-to-back hits with two outs,
Paul Heywood stood on second with Crusberg up to bat. Unfortunately, Crusberg's groundball found the mitt of the third baseman who made the play for the final out of the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning the Boxers delivered the final blow. After leading off with two hits, Mincin collected a strikeout, but the next at-bat was the final one, as a single into center field brought in the game winning run; sealing the 2-1 win for Pacific.
The first game of the afternoon saw Whitman out in front after the top of the first inning.
Nick Johnson's RBI single scored
Jake Wishart for a 1-0 lead, but from there it was all Pacific. The Boxers answered with three runs in the bottom of the first and then exploded for five more in the third. Whitman would add another run in the fourth inning, but Pacific answered right back with a run of their own that same inning.
It was a rough day for the Whits who will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon in the final game of the series against the Boxers. The game will be Whitman's final of the season and the team would like to end the season in no other way than with a win.
