WALLA WALLA, Wash. Whitman earned a split of a non-conference doubleheader with visiting Corban University on Sunday, using a pair of four-run innings in the opener to win 10-8 before dropping the nightcap against the Warriors, 10-4, at Borleske Stadium.
Joseph Zimmer posted a 5-for-9 day at the plate for the Blues (4-10) while Andrew Axmaker led the attack for Corban (13-10) with a 5-for-8 afternoon.
Corban jumped on Whitman starter
Steven Ainsworth for four runs in the top of the first of the Game 1, but Ainsworth got one back in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly by
Lucas Thrun that plated
Tyler Lewis who had earned his way on base with a single.
Both teams had tacked on one more run apiece by the time the fifth inning rolled around, which turned into the Blues' first big frame of the day.
A lead-off home run to right field by Thrun kicked of Whitman's half of the fifth, and his solo shot was followed by consecutive singles by
Kyle Reisman,
Brett Williams and
Matthew Sox.
The hit up the middle by Sox pushed Reisman home, and sac flies by
Anthony Nevoso and
Court Osborne added the final two runs to move the Blues in front, 6-5.
Corban bounced back with one in the sixth and one in the eighth, however, to wrest back the lead at 7-6.
A one-out walk to Lewis initiated Whitman's second four-run frame, though.
Zimmer singled and Thrun then tripled to bring Lewis and Zimmer home. A walk to pinch-hitter
Alex Behrman put runners on the corners for Williams, but Corban reliever Jackson Arnsdorf uncorked a wild pitch with Williams at the plate, allowing Thrun to score and Behrman to move up to second.
Williams eventually smoked an RBI-triple down the right-field line to bring Behrman home for an insurance run.
Brendan Henry (1-1), who had come on for Ainsworth in the top of the eighth, closed out the game to earn the victory with two innings of work.
In Game 2 the Warriors put up four in the top of the second to snare the lead, only to have Whitman register yet another four-run inning.
The big knock in the bottom of the second for the Blues was a two-run home run by Lewis off the scoreboard in left field, which followed a pair of runs generated by a hit batter, a walk, a single and a throwing error.
Corban responded with another four-run inning in their half of the third, then held the Blues scoreless the rest of the way to earn a split of the twin bill.
Thrun and Williams were active at the plate in the opener with three hits each, while Reisman added two to Whitman's 15-hit attack.
Three Corban pitchers limited the Blues to seven hits and four earned runs in the Warriors nightcap victory.
The Blues head back into Northwest Conference action in their next outings, a home doubleheader Saturday against Willamette University and a single game against the Bearcats on Sunday at Borleske.
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