Nelsen Smacks Winning Homer in 8th Inning, as Bearcats Defeat Linfield, 10-9

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Michael Nelsen (Jr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) put Willamette University in front 10-9 in the bottom of the eighth inning with a leadoff solo home run, and relief pitcher Pruitt Spritzer (Fy., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep) kept Linfield College off the scoreboard in the ninth inning, as the Bearcats defeated the Wildcats, 10-9, in a Northwest Conference game at John Lewis Field on Saturday, March 7. The game, which opened a three-game series between the nearby rivals, ended with Willamette at 8-6 on the season, 6-2 in the NWC. Linfield fell to 5-9 overall, 1-6 in the NWC.

Earlier in the game, Ethan Fischel (So., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) of Willamette smashed a three-run homer well above the left field fence to give the Bearcats a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Ben Ranieri tied the game with a three-run homer for Linfield in the top of the eighth.

"Good battle by our guys. We came back on multiple occasions, and had some big swings with two outs. Mike's home run was a huge moment, one that he had been preparing for."
— Willamette Head Coach Aaron Swick

Willamette from a 4-0 deficit after the first half-inning and from a 6-4 margin midway through the sixth inning.

In the top of the first, Linfield plated its four runs on five hits and one error. Brian Cromwell opened the game with a single to center, and scored when David Brosius followed with a double to the right field corner. After Wyatt Smith reached first on a fielding error at shortstop, Ben Ranieri and Tanner Jacques hit back-to-back singles to drive in Brosius. Tanner Earhart brought home Smith with a single to left, and Levi Horner-Villa drove in Ranieri on a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Bearcats answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Ethan Fishel walked. Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Fy., DH/UT, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) batted next and belted a double down the left field line to score Fischel from first. After Nick Di Fiori (Jr., INF/RHP, Monrovia, CA/Bishop Amat HS) walked, a balk advanced the runners to second and third. Werkmeister-Martin scored on a single through the left side by Layton Wagner (Fy., 3B/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS), and Di Fiori crossed the plate on a single to center by Samuel Daly (Fy, RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS).

WU tied the score at 4-4 with a run in the second inning. Joey Faudskar (Sr., OF, Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle HS) received a walk with one out, and went to second on a single by Fischel. The runners went to second and third on a double-steal, before Werkmeister-Martin hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive home Faudskar.

With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Brosius reached first base on an error at second to load the bases. Smith followed with a two-run single up the middle that brought in unearned runs by Treve Earhart and Garrett Moen. As in the first inning, the Bearcats responded quickly, as they scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

The inning started with a single by Wagner. He moved to second on a ground out by Daly, and went to third on a wild pitch. Tyler Vandemark (Jr., LF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) sent a bunt just far enough up the first base line, for Wagner to score on a squeeze play to cut Linfield's lead to 6-5. Vandemark went to second on a balk.

With two outs, Sean Little (Jr., RF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) walked. Vandemark reached home on a double by Faudskar, while Little went to third. Little and Faudskar scored when Fischel launched a three-run homer over the left field fence, giving WU a 9-6 advantage.

After neither team plated a run in the seventh, Linfield tied the score with a three-run homer by Renieri in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Willamette quickly regained the lead when Nelsen blasted a leadoff homer to left center.

Spritzer, who went to the mound after Renieri's game-tying homer, faced four batters in the ninth to secure the win. He walked Conor Callanan to start the inning, and threw out Treve Earhart on a sacrifice bunt toward the mound. Moen grounded out to second to move Callanan to third. Spritzer got Cromwell to line out to Vandemark to end the game.

The win puts Spritzer at 1-2 on the season. He did not allow a hit or a run in 1 2/3 innings on Saturday. WU starter Justin Miller (Jr./So., RHP, Poway, CA/Poway HS/Palomar CC) went 5 1/3 innings for the Bearcats, while allowing six hits and six runs -- three earned. Dakota Carter, who pitched the final two innings for the Wildcats, fell to 1-1 with the loss.

Fischel was 2 of 4 with a homer, two runs and three RBIs for Willamette. Werkmeister-Martin was 2 of 3 with a double, a run and two RBIs, while Wagner went 2 of 4 with a run and an RBI. Faudskar hit a double and scored twice. For Linfield, Ranieri was 2 of 4 with a homer, two runs and four RBis. Smith went 2 of 5 with two runs and two RBIs.

Willamette and Linfield will close out the series with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 8. First pitch in the first game is set for 11 a.m. (PDT).