WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Joseph Zimmer stroked a solo home run in the opener Saturday night then collected the lone RBI in the night cap, but visiting Pacific (Ore.) University was able to overcome Zimmer's efforts as the Boxers swept a Northwest Conference doubleheader at windy and chilly Borleske Stadium.

Pacific (6-4, 2-0 NWC) rolled to a 14-1 win in Game 1, then scored twice in the top of the 12th to outlast Whitman (3-7, 0-2) night-cap, taking a 4-2 decision nearing 1 a.m. in the morning.

Two big innings hurt the Blues in the opener, the first of which was enhanced by the elements rather than simply a slow beginning from Whitman starting pitcher Steven Ainsworth.

The Boxers' leadoff batter drew a walk, and advanced on a single into short centerfield. Ainsworth rung up the next batter swinging but walked the bases loaded.

What looked like a routine sacrifice fly to left field by Pacific's Joey Galeno got caught up in the wind -- huffing and puffing in 20 mile-per-hour gusts toward left field -- and kept going, and going, until left fielder Tyler Lewis ran out of room in his chase.

The grand slam provided the Boxers with a surprising four-run lead, as opposed to perhaps a 1-0 lead with two outs after what originally looked like a sacrifice fly.

Whitman left a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the second, and another in the fourth and then the fifth, which might have changed the complexion of the game heading into Pacific's sixth.

The Boxers 11 batters to the plate in a six-run inning to push out to a 10-0 advantage, and on this night, was more than starter Paul Wolfram and reliever Ryan Yoder needed.

The pair scattered seven Whitman hits, failing to surrender a run until Zimmer's two-out shot over the left-field fence in the eighth.

The Blues looked like they had turned the tables in the bottom of the first in Game 2, scoring twice with efficient hitting and astute base running.

Anthony Lim led off with a single up the middle, and moved up a base on a steal against starter Trevor Quinn.

An infield pop-up notched the first out, but Quinn nicked Lucas Thrun to put runners on first and second for Zimmer, who singled into left field to bring in Lim for the first run.

With Lewis at the plate and Thrun on third, Zimmer broke for second in a steal attempt, but really an attempt to even just draw the throw. The plot worked as catcher Luke Peevyhouse threw to shortstop Max Nealon at the bag. Zimmer drew close enough to second to entice Nealon to pay too much attention to the now-stopped base runner…allowing Thrun to race home for another run, then watch the rundown that eventually snuffed out the clever Zimmer.

Quinn settled down after the two-run Whitman inning, holding the Blues in check over the next five innings.

In the top half of the frames, Jimmy Smiley was doing a good job on the mound for Whitman, scattering five hits while striking out five in 4.2 innings. He surrendered two runs, the first of which was unearned in the third, and the second following a lead-off walk in the fourth.

Tristan Kalnins came on in relief and shut the door on the Boxers after getting the final out of the fifth. He threw 3.2 scoreless innings, striking out five without a walk and allowing just two hits.

With the score deadlocked at 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Kalnins allowed a one-out single which brought his superb outing to an end.

Next up was Brendan Henry who quickly squashed the threat in the ninth, had an easy 10th, and sat the Boxer down 1-2-3 in the 11th.

Meanwhile, the Blues were threatening to end the game with every lead-off batter in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings.

A lead-off single by Thrun in the eighth was cancelled out by a double play; the single by Kevin Nakamura to start the ninth ended with pinch-runner Jake Wishart at third; and though Lim was caught stealing in the 10th after kicking it off with a single, a Thrun double and intentional walk of

Zimmer had two more runners on base before Pacific escaped once again.

A pair of singles, an RBI fielder's choice, and a sac fly to right field allowed the Boxers to push two runs across the plate in the top of the 12th, leaving the ball in the hands of Pacific reliever Cole Kanazawa.

Yet to be scored upon this season, Kanazawa gave up a lead-off single to Court Osborn in the bottom of the 12th, but enticed a double-play grounder from the next batter before finishing off his 6.2 innings with a strikeout to end the game.

Zimmer finished Saturday with four hits and two RBI, and Lim, Thrun and Osborn collected a multi-hit game in the night-cap for Whitman.

The Blues and Boxers head back to Borleske Sunday afternoon for the final outing of the three-game set. Originally scheduled for noon, the two will close out the series with a single game starting at 2 p.m.