Walla Walla, Wash. After riding the hot bat of
Joseph Zimmer in a 6-2 Game 1 victory Saturday at Borleske Stadium, Whitman's offense sputtered in the nightcap as it split the Northwest Conference twinbill with visiting Willamette University, 12-2, in Game 2.
In Game 1, Whitman starter
Steven Ainsworth pitched himself in and out of jams in the early going but earned a quality start as he went six innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven.
His in and out day started in the first inning when Ainsworth gave up two hits and walked two but managed to give up only a single run to leadoff man Cameron Igarashi, who came around to score on an RBI-single from Eric Del Prado. Though the Bearcats loaded the bases, Ainsworth bounced back to strike out Mason Fessler to end the frame.
Whitman responded in the bottom of the first as
Tyler Lewis delivered a single and was followed by Zimmer, who delivered a two-run home run that drifted over the left field wall, putting the Blues ahead 2-1.
From there Ainsworth shut down Bearcats, despite issuing four free passes and hitting two men with pitches during his time on the bump. Ainsworth held Willamette scoreless during his final five innings of work, earning his first win of the 2018 campaign.
The Blues' offense aided the senior's efforts as they added a run in the third with a solo blast from Zimmer, his second on the day and sixth for the season. Whitman added two runs in the fourth, keyed by an RBI-single from
Anthony Lim.
Willamette did its best to get to the Blues bullpen, as they scored one in the top of the eighth and loaded the bases in the top of the ninth before reliever
Brendan Henry induced a 6-4-3 game ending double play to secure his second save of the year and earn the Blues their first Northwest Conference win of the spring.
In Game 2, Willamette's offense showed up as they feasted for 12 runs on 18 hits in picking up the 10-run victory.
The game started on a positive note for the Blues as they jumped out to a two-run lead in the second inning.
Matthew Sox singled and scored Kevin Reisman to open up scoring, and
Alex Behrman followed with an RBI groundout to score Sox.
Unfortunately for the Blues, that is where the runs would dry up and Willamette would go on to score in five of the next six innings, highlighted by a four-run fourth inning that would chase Whitman starter
Tristan Kalnins.
Willamette rode reliever Jason Snare the final four innings of the game in order to cruise to the victory. Snare pitched four shutout innings in relief of starter Benjamin Whitten, giving up just one hit and striking out three in earning his first save of the season.
Whitman will be back in action Sunday as it plays the rubber match of the three-game series against Willamette. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. in the final regular season meeting between these two teams in conference action.
