PENDELTON, Ore. - Julien Hernandez struck out a career-high 14 hitters in an 8-2 game-one win,
Wyatt Adams struck out nine to earn the 2-1 victory in the nightcap and the Whitman College baseball team opened the season with a bang, sweeping Eastern Oregon on Saturday afternoon at Bob White Field.
Game 1
Jack Bickerton led all hitters with three hits including a homerun, one run and one RBI for the Blues (2-0) who scored three in the first and another three in the second inning. Mateus Conaway (1 H, 2 RBI, 3 BB) provided the spark in the first inning, delivering a two-run double to put the first Whitman runs on the board.
One inning later, Garrett Runyan (2 H, 2 R, 2 RBI), who had scored in the first inning, homered to tack on two more runs to put his team up 5-0 still in the second inning. Teague Conder (1 H, 1 R) later scored on a Beck Maguire (1 H, 2 RBI) RBI-hit and the Blues led by six runs after one and one-half innings.
Meanwhile Hernandez (1-0) was cruising through the Mountaineer order. He struck out the side in the first and second innings en route to tossing six complete scoreless innings
Ben Parker (2 H, 2 R, 1 RBI) and Bickerton homered in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively, to put the game away.
Bennett King was tagged with the loss for EOU, tossing one and one-third innings and allowing six runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Justin Frederick led his team at the plate with three hits.
Game 2
The offense wasn't there for the Blues in the nightcap, but Adams' arm sure was. In his first career outing, he fanned nine hitters over five and two-thirds innings and allowed only one unearned run on one hit.
EOU's lone run came in the first inning. Adrian Roa reached base on a fielding error then later scored to put the Mountaineers up 1-0.
Whitman threatened on several occasions but the lead stood until the fifth inning. Conaway (2 H, 1 R) doubled for the second time in the game before Parker's base knock drove him home for the tying run.
The Blues broke the tie after manufacturing a run one inning later. Maguire drew a lead off walk, before Kepa Supnet's grounder and Joaquin Hines (2 H) sacrifice bunt moved him to third. He then scored on a wild pitch for what proved to be the game winning run.
That was all the run production Adams (1-0) needed as he allowed only six baserunners before being lifted with two outs in the sixth inning.
Summit Nell (0-1) was tagged with the loss for EOU in a relief effort after allowing one run on one hit in one and two-thirds innings.
Whitman and EOU conclude their opening-weekend series on Sunday with another doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 11:00 a.m.
