McMINNVILLE, Ore.  Nick Johnson limited opposing batters to just three hits during his eight innings of work on the mound for Whitman during a 3-0 series-opening Northwest Conference win over Willamette University Saturday at Roy Helser Field. The second game of the doubleheader went 14 innings in a low-scoring slugfest during which all the runs in the Bearcats' 4-3 victory came via the long ball.

The Saturday split leaves Whitman at 9-7 overall and 4-3 within the league, while Willamette ends the day at 12-6 and 8-4, respectively.

Johnson (1-1) was on his game in the opener, only twice having to work through an inning that included more than one base runner.

A lead-off walk to start the bottom of the first inning wasn't what he had in mind, nor was the one-out single that put runners at first and second before the game was barely 15 minutes old.

But Johnson previewed the rest of his day in the next two batters -- a pair of strikeouts to end the early threat and set the tone for his next seven innings.

A single and stolen base put a runner in scoring position in the third, but Johnson coaxed a foul pop-up, a lazy fly out to right and a 6-3 ground out to dampen hopes of the Bearcats dugout that likely had a feeling it could be one of those days.

Johnson needed to be solid on the mound because Willamette's Matt Steindorf was going toe-to-toe with him.

Finally, though, Johnson and Whitman found the small crack in Steindorf with a lead-off single into the short gap in right-center field by David Johnson.

A little small-ball never hurt anyone, and Jasper Crusberg provided the pain-free movement of David Johnson with a sacrifice bunt to push the runner to second. An infield ground out from Alex Behrman put the runner at third where he trotted home for the first run with Jake Wishart's RBI-single into right field.

Johnson continued to stifle the Willamette bats, then picked up some insurance runs in the top of the eighth when a lead-off walk to Brett Williams and RBI singles from Adrian Vela and Crusberg enhanced the cushion.

Nick Johnson handed off to Jimmy Smiley to start the bottom of the ninth and the reliever earned the save with a one-hit frame, ensuring Nick Johnson and the Blues opened what is a two-day, four-game series with a victory.

The nightcap was nowhere near anything resembling small-ball baseball. This time it was for the big guns.

Vela led off the top of the second inning with a home run to left that provided Whitman with its first lead of Game 2. Unfortunately that narrow margin wouldn't last long ast Willamette answered back with a lead off home run in the bottom of the third.

It didn't take long for the Blues to jump back into the lead, with Joseph Zimmer leading off the fourth with a single up the middle and Vela stepping in immediately afterward and stroking another dinger over the left field fence.

As the theme for Game 2 seemed to catching on, the Bearcats followed the script in the bottom half of the frame with a one-out homer to nearly the identical spot Vela's had just flown.

Things finally quieted down -- to a hush, in comparison -- as the teams were unable to generate any more runs for the next eight innings.

Not until Cole Pursell's home run -- to left, where else? -- led off the bottom of the 14th to allow the Bearcats to earn a split for the day.

The top of the Whitman order -- David Johnson, Wishart, Vela and Zimmer -- collected nine of the team's 12 hits in the loss, which spoiled another strong outing from first-year starting pitcher Travis Craven, who surrendered just three runs on seven hits and two walks while fanning five during his seven innings of no-decision work.

The same two teams return to Roy Helser Field, on the campus of Linfield College, for Sunday's doubleheader, only the first game of which is a NWC contest. Field conditions at Willamette forced the move of the weekend series to Linfield, which is on the road Saturday and Sunday.