Waldichuk Homers in Both Games as Bearcats Sweep Occidental, 7-3 and 12-2

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Eric Waldichuk (So., 1B, San Diego, CA/University City HS) of Willamette University blasted a home run in each game, and registered five hits overall, to lead the Bearcats to a doubleheader sweep of Occidental College, 7-3 and 12-2, on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Anderson Field. The second game was called after eight innings due to darkness. With the two wins, Willamette claimed the season-opening series two games to one.

Waldichuk smacked a solo home run in the fifth inning of the first game. He launched a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game. Layton Wagner (Fy., 3B/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) of Willamette also belted a solo homer in the first game. Ethan Fischel (So., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) of WU connected for a two-run homer in the second game.

At the plate, Waldichuk went 1 for 4 in the opener with his solo homer. In the second game, Waldichuck was 4 for 4 and scored four runs to go along with a double, his three-run homer, and three RBIs.

The winning pitchers for the Bearcats were starter Benjamin Whitten (Sr., RHP, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) in the opener and starter Matt Pisacane (So., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS) in the second game. Whitten allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, while striking out three batters. Pisacane limited the Tigers to two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in five innings. He struck out four batters. Nathan Billings (Fy., RHP, Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga HS) pitched the final two innings in the first game and did not allow a hit to register his first save.

Willamette will complete its four-game trip to Southern California on Sunday, Feb. 9. The Bearcats will battle Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, California, starting at 12 p.m. (PST).

Four Runs in Third Inning Help Bearcats Win First Game, 7-3

The Bearcats scored four runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead on their way to a 7-3 victory in the opener. During the big inning, Willamette took advantage of four errors by the Tigers, who committed six errors during the game. Occidental was charged with 15 errors during the three-game series.

Willamette trailed 1-0 after Occidental scored in the bottom of the first inning. Austin Twiss started the inning with a single and Preston Chong followed with a bunt single, which advanced Twiss to third. Jake Frederickson hit into a 4-6-3 double play that allowed Twiss to score. The Bearcats tied the game in the top of the second after Wagner reached first and second base with two outs on an error by the shortstop. Fischel batted next and drove in Wagner with a single.

In the top of the third, Joey Faudskar (Sr., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) opened the stanza by going to first base on catcher's interference. Tyler Vandemark (Jr., LF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) gained first and second base on a throwing by pitcher Tom Butler, as Faudskar scored from first base. After Justin Scanlon (Sr., 2B, San Jose, CA/Leigh HS/West Valley College) was hit by a pitch, Waldichuk moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. One out later, Wagner hit a two-run single and eventually scored as well, following errors by Butler and the shortstop. All four runs in the inning were unearned.

Nolan Upchurch hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the third and later scored for the Tigers, cutting Willamette's lead to 5-2. The Bearcats tallied their sixth run in the fifth inning when Waldichuk homered to left field.

Occidental pulled within 6-3 in the seventh. Upchurch doubled with one out and later scored on a bases-loaded walk issued to Frederickson. Wagner's home run for Willamette over the left field fence in the top of the ninth completed the scoring. Wagner went 2 for 5 during the game with three runs and three RBIs.

The top four batters in Willamette's lineup -- Faudskar, Vandemark, Scanlon, and Waldichuck -- each went 1 for 4 with a runs scored. Fischel finished 2 for 3 with two walks. 

For Occidental, Upchurch was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored, while Chong went 2 for 4 with a double.

Waldichuk Goes 4 for 4 to Lead Willamette in 12-2 Triumph

In the second game, Waldichuk topped the Bearcats' 15-hit attack by going 4 for 4 with a double and a three-run homer. He scored four runs and was credited with three RBis. Wagner went 3 for 5, scored a run and hit a double. Fischel was 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and three RBIs. Faudskar also finished 2 for 5.

The Bearcats plated three runs in the first inning, with all three scoring on Waldichuk's home run with one out. Also scoring on the play were Vandemark and Scanlon, who preceded Waldichuk with back-to-back singles. The Tigers countered with one run in the bottom of the stanza. Chong walked with one out, stole second, went to third on a throwing error, and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Frederickson.

Occidental tacked on a run in the third inning to pull within 3-2. With two outs, Frederickson walked, stole second, and scored on a double by Antonio Andrade. The double was the Tigers' only extra-base hit during the game, as Willamette pitchers limited Occidental to five hits overall.

A six-run outburst by the Bearcats in the top of the fifth inning gave Willamette control of the game with a 9-2 advantage. Key hits for the Bearcats were a two-RBI single by Wagner, plus RBI singles by Ben Setlak (Jr., OF, Evergreen, CO/Evergreen HS), Jonny Suchor (Fy., DH/UT, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) and Faudskar.

Waldichuk belted a double to left field to start the sixth inning, and scored when Fischel followed with a double to right center. In the ninth inning Waldichuk singles and then scored on Fischel's two-run homer to left.

Michael Ingram, who went 2 for 2 with a walk for the Tigers, was the only Occidental player with more than one hit. Willamette reliever Mason Cook (Sr., RHP, Riverton, UT/Riverton HS) allowed just one hit and two walks, while striking out a total of five batters during the sixth and seventh innings. Nick Di Fiori (Jr., INF/RHP, Monrovia, CA/Bishop Amat HS) held the Tigers without a hit, while recording one strikeout and one walk in the eighth.