Doubleheader Between Willamette and Lewis & Clark is Suspended by Rain in First Game

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

PORTLAND, ORE. -- Willamette University was off to a great start in its doubleheader at Lewis & Clark College on Sunday, March 1, but the weather interfered, forcing the first game to be suspended with WU leading 15-2 with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Rain eventually made conditions unplayable. No date was immediately chosen to complete the doubleheader of Northwest Conference games.

Willamette held a 13-8 advantage in hits, including home runs by Kyle Stalker (Sr., 1B, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) and T.C. Lee (So., LF, Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS). Stalker led off the fourth inning with a solo homer. Lee smacked a grand slam in the fifth inning.

WU and L&C were tied 1-1 after one inning. Doug Bloom (So., SS, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) doubled to open the game and later scored on a single by Max Stepan (So., C, Pueblo, CO/Pueblo County HS). Parker Dane singled to lead off the bottom of the first. He scored for the Pioneers on a sacrifice fly by Sami Morgan.

The Bearcats took the lead with four runs in the second inning and added three more in the third. WU pounded out five hits in the second and used two hits and and an error in the third.

After Stalker's homer increased the lead to 9-1 in the fourth, L&C countered with one run in the bottom of the inning. WU scored six times in the fifth inning, with Lee's grand slam providing the final runs before the game was suspended. Michael Rierson (Jr., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) and Stepan were on first base and second base, respectively, when the game ended.

Blake Paisley (Fr., RHP, Saratoga, CA/Saratoga HS) threw all four innings for Willamette. Three pitchers combined for Lewis & Clark.

Willamette remained 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the NWC. L&C continued at 0-6 overall, 0-2 in the conference.