Bearcats Produce 15 Hits in 9-6 Win over Oregon Tech
SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University pounded out 15 hits and starting pitcher Tyler Olson (Fr., RHP, Yuba City, CA/Yuba City HS) allowed two runs and struck out five batters in five innings, as the Bearcats defeated Oregon Institute of Technology, 9-6, on Tuesday, March 27 at John Lewis Field. Three of Willamette's hits were by Mitch Rowan (Jr., LF, Cotati, CA/Rancho Cotate HS), who went 3 for 3 at the plate.
Olson is Winning Pitcher with Five Strikeouts in Five Innings
SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University pounded out 15 hits and starting pitcher Tyler Olson (Fr., RHP, Yuba City, CA/Yuba City HS) allowed two runs and struck out five batters in five innings, as the Bearcats defeated Oregon Institute of Technology, 9-6, on Tuesday, March 27 at John Lewis Field. Three of Willamette's hits were by Mitch Rowan (Jr., LF, Cotati, CA/Rancho Cotate HS), who went 3 for 3 at the plate.
The Bearcats improved to 8-15 on the season. Oregon Tech fell to 13-18.
Rowan belted two doubles to go along with an infield single. He also stole a base and was hit by a pitch. Catcher Dylan Summers (Sr., Lake Oswego, OR/Lakeridge HS) connected for a two-run homer with one out in the second inning that gave Willamette the lead for good at 2-1.
The homer by Summers set off a five-run inning for the Bearcats. Brandon Chinn (So., 1B, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) followed with a single to left field and Adam Reid (Sr., OF, San Jose, CA/Lynbrook HS) sent Chinn to third base with a single down the left field line.
With two outs, Tyson Giza (Jr., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) hit an RBI single down the right field line and stole second base. Rowan, already with a double in the first inning, pounded his second double to drive in Reid and Giza. OIT third baseman Zack Earle caught a fly ball by Tiras Koon (Fr., DH/1B, Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) to end the inning, but WU held a 5-1 advantage.
Kevin Shulemson of Oregon Tech earned a base hit to right field to start the top of the third inning for the Owls. He moved to second base on a wild pitch, and scored when Rogers doubled to left center with one out. Olson caused Earle to groundout to shortstop and Chinn caught a foul ball by Brad Walters to end the threat.
Willamette tallied the next three runs, as the Bearcats scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth.
In the fourth stanza, Tommy Kawamura (So., SS, Renton, WA/Lindbergh HS) drove in Reid with a single to right center. In the fifth, Rowan batted first and was hit by a pitch. He stole second base with one out and scored when Tosh Semlacher (So., 3B, Gold River, CA/Jesuit HS) smacked a triple to extreme right field that went off the glove of a charging Walters.
The lead reached 9-2 after the Bearcats added a run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Giza singled up the middle and stole second base. He scored on an infield single by Rowan that went of the glove of Shulemson at second as he slid to make a catch.
Earle doubled for the Owls and later scored in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Wood to cut the lead to 9-3.
Dylan Rogers, Oregon Tech's catcher, hit a three-run homer with two runners on base and one out in the top of the ninth to achieve the final score.
Blake Evetts (Fr., RHP, Tigard, OR/Tigard HS) entered the game as WU's fourth pitcher of the afternoon and faced three batters to end the game. He got Earle to fly out to left field, gave up a single to Dustin Norman, and struck out Alex Reynolds for the last out.
Rowan's 3-for-3 effort led the Bearcats. Giza, Semlacher, Chinn, Reid and Hunter Gallant (Fr., 2B, Rescue, CA/Ponderosa HS) added two hits apiece. Giza and Reid each scored two runs, while Rowan led WU with three RBIs.
Olson, now 1-3, picked up his first collegiate pitching victory. Chinn led the defense with 12 putouts, including one a lengthy foul ball that led to an over-the-shoulder catch well beyond first base.
Rogers finished 2 for 5 for the Owls with one run and four RBIs. Shulemson, Reynolds and Miller each went 2 for 3, while Earle ended the game 2 for 5. Oregon Tech had 12 hits overall. Brandon Allen, who started on the mound for OIT, fell to 2-3.
Willamette will host Pacific University in a Northwest Conference series on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1. On Saturday, the teams will play a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. (PDT). On Sunday, the Bearcats will take on the Boxers in one game, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. (PDT).
Mitch Rowan went 3 for 3 with an infield single and two doubles.