Bearcats Earn 27 Hits, including 14 for Extra Bases, to Sweep Blues, 9-6 and 11-0

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University pounded out 27 hits, including two homers, a triple, and 11 doubles, as the Bearcats won both games of a doubleheader, 9-6 and 11-0, against Whitman College on Sunday, April 18 at John Lewis Field. The second game ended on the run rule in five innings. Willamette improved to 23-9 for the season, 17-7 in the Northwest Conference. Whitman dropped to 13-15 overall, 10-10 in the NWC.

Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS), who went 3 for 3 with a home run and a triple in the second game for the Bearcats, finished the day 5 for 7 at the plate. Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) of WU went 4 for 6 on offense, including two doubles in the first game. Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) added a booming 3-run homer to left field in the second game. It was Nelsen's 12th home run of the season.

Relief pitcher JD Willis (Fy., Chandler, AZ/Perry HS) registered the win in the first game to reach 3-0 this spring. He went to the mound at the start of the fifth inning and pitched 3 2/3 stanzas. He allowed four hits and two runs (one earned). Brady Joyner (Fy., RHP/OF, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) tossed the final 1 1/3 innings. He gave up just one hit to record his fourth save.

In the second game, WU pitcher Matt Pisacane (Jr., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS) started and went three innings before a planned change to Pruitt Spritzer (So., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep), who threw the final two innings in the shutout. Pisacane improved to 3-0 with the win, as he limited Whitman to two singles, while striking out two batters and giving up one walk. Spritzer allowed one single and earned one strikeout.

"Another great day on offense," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said. "We were able to put up big numbers while they were scoring one run per inning. JD Willis came in and had another good outing.

"It was great to sweep a quality team," Swick added. "It was also awesome to have fans in the stands. They gave us a boost. I like how we are playing."

Both teams scored in each of the first five innings of the opener, and Whitman also plated a run in the top of the sixth. The Blues earned just one run each time for a total of six runs entering the seventh inning. Willamette gained a 9-6 edge on the scoreboard by scoring three runs in the first inning, two runs in the third, and two runs in the sixth, in addition to single tallies in the second and fourth stanzas.

Daly began his strong performance with a 2-RBI double in the bottom of the first. Fischell added an RBI single, as WU took a 3-1 lead. Ben Parker of Whitman belted a solo homer to start the third inning and pull the Blues within 3-2.

A bit later, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) hit a leadoff double and Daly followed with an RBI double in the bottom of the third. Daly scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) as WU gained a 6-3 advantage.

Willamette continued to lead by at least two runs the rest of the way. In the bottom of the fifth, the Bearcats increased the margin to 9-5 with a 2-run double down the left field line by Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS). Parker hit a double for the Blues and later scored on a single by Teague Conder in the top of the sixth.

Daly, Fischell, Vandemark, and Sean Little (Sr., INF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS) each provided Willamette with two hits in the opener. Daly led all players with two doubles and four RBIs. WU belted eight doubles during the game. For Whitman, Parker was 2 of 4 with a double and a home run.

The second game was a combined three-hitter for Pisacane and Spritzer. Meanwhile, the Bearcats continued to excel on offense, earning 14 hits.

WU claimed a 2-0 led in the first inning. With one out, Werkmeister-Martin hit an infield single and went to second on an errant throw by the shortstop. One out later, Fischel smacked a 2-run homer to center field.

The Bearcats connected for nine consecutive hits during the third inning on their way to scoring seven runs for a 9-0 margin. The offensive surge included an RBI double by Werkmeister-Martin that drove in the first run. Daly and Hoffman each added an RBI single before Nelsen's 3-run homer. The final run was scored by Vandemark from third base following an errant throw to first base on a pick-off play.

Daly singled to open the fourth inning for the Bearcats. He scored when Fischel hit a triple to center field. Fischel scored on a wild pitch to give WU an 11-0 lead.

Willamette will play at Linfield University on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24. Each day, the action in McMinnville, Oregon, will feature a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. (PDT).