TACOMA, Wash. -
Beck Maguire delivered a seventh-inning grand slam,
Jack Hostetler pitched five strong innings and the Whitman College baseball team captured a series win with a 9-4 victory over the University of Puget Sound in Northwest Conference action on Sunday afternoon.
Maguire's final line consisted of two hits, two runs, four RBI and a walk. Jack Bickerton added two hits, two runs, one RBI and a double for the Blues (7-2, 2-1 NWC) who continued their hot start to open the season. Makana Murashige led the Loggers with two hits, two runs and one RBI.
Mateus Conaway (2-0) picked up the win in four scoreless innings of relief work. He allowed only two hits while striking out six Whitman hitters. Hostetler allowed two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts in his five complete innings of work. Cal Johnson nearly tossed a complete game after being lifted with two outs in the Whitman ninth. He allowed all nine runs while posting seven strikeouts.Â
The Loggers jumped on the scoreboard early with two runs in the first inning. Hostetler struck out his first two hitters then ran into trouble. After Murashige reached on an error, Nathan Blocher belted a homerun to put UPS up 2-0 through one-half of an inning.
Cody Hirano doubled and scored to add to UPS's lead in the third inning. Then in the fifth, the Loggers went up 4-1 after Murashige singled and stole second before scoring on another infield error from the Blues.
With just the one run through the first six-plus innings, Maguire erased the three-run deficit with one swing of the bat, crushing his grand slam over the left field wall. Conaway grounded out to start the inning, but Ben Parker's base hit was followed by back-to-back walks to Teague Conder and Bickerton. Maguire then stepped to the plate and homered to give Whitman the lead for good.
The Blues tacked on three insurance runs in the ninth inning. Conaway provided the big hit of the inning with his two-out, two-run hit that scored Nate Korahais and Brock Williams.
Whitman returns to action this weekend for its home-opening series against Whitworth. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.
