HILLSBORO, Ore.  Three innings during which Whitman sent at least eight batters to the plate lifted the Blues past host Pacific (Ore.) University Saturday afternoon, 14-4, in the second game of a Northwest Conference twinbill at Ron Tonkin Field. Whitman earned a split on the day with its win, following up on a 3-2 loss in the day's opener.

Saturday's results leave Whitman at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the league, while Pacific moves to 5-2 and 1-1, respectively.

Though Whitman sent eight batters to the plate and scored a pair of unearned runs in the top half of the second inning in Game 2, things really took off in the top of the third with a lead-off triple by Joseph Zimmer. A double by Adrian Vela followed, plating Zimmer.

Lucas Thrun worked Pacific reliever Drew Fagerness for a walk, and then Nick Johnson followed with a single into right field to load the bases. David Johnson pushed Vela and Thrun home with a single into right-center, leaving runners on the corners with no outs.

Fagerness hit the next batter, Jasper Crusberg, to once again fill the bags and subsequently make a quick exit. 

Cole Kanazawa didn't fair any better in relief of Fagerness, allowing a 2-RBI single up the middle by Jake Wishart -- Johnson & Johnson scored on the hit -- and then a walk to Brett Williams. Kanazawa finally recorded the first out of the inning but the second out was a sacrifice fly by Zimmer that brought home Crusberg for the sixth run of the inning.

Two innings later nine batters stepped into the box against Kanazawa. The five-run fifth was initiated by a lead-off walk issued to Williams. A strikeout was next but then four consecutive hits broke the inning open. Zimmer, Vela and John Lyons singled followed by a double by Nick Johnson. A Crusberg single added to the hit count in a frame in which Vela, Lyon, Nick Johnson and Crusberg (2) collected RBIs.

For good measure Anthony Nevoso took Crusberg's spot in the line-up, and went onto don the mask behind the plate as well, in the top of the eighth and began his stay with a double to left field. Pinch hitter Tyler Lewis would knock hom Nevoso with a single into left three batters later.

On the mound, thoroughly enjoying the run support, was first-year Eric Ma (2-0) who picked up his second win of the young season with a stellar 6-inning outing that included eight strikeouts against only a pair of walks and six hits while surrendering just two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Steven Ainsworth and Patrick Stanton were the one-two punch that closed out the game for Ma to ensure his second victory of the season.

The day's opener could have gone either way as Whitman out hit the Boxers eight to six, but also left five runners in scoring position, spoiling a strong outing from Nick Johnson on the mound. He lasted 7 and 2/3s innings, surrendering three runs on those six hits with two walks but fanning six. The one he'd like to get back was the only extra-base hit he allowed, an RBI triple to Pacific's Joey Galeno in a one-run fourth.

Vela and Thrun had two hits each in the loss, with Lyon and Williams collecting Whitman's two RBIs.

For the day Vela and Nick Johnson each collected four hits, and both scored three times. Zimmer was on base three times, including a double and triple, scored twice and knocked in one run.

From the mound and beyond the pair of quality starts, Ainsworth finished the afternoon by allowing one baserunner, by a walk, while fanning five over 2 and 1/3 innings of relief work.

The two teams are back at Tonkin again Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at noon. The first of the two will count as a conference game while the second will not.