Willamette Outscores PLU, 8-4, will Play for NWC Tournament Title on Saturday

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Willamette University rallied from a 3-2 deficit by scoring six runs in the fifth inning, as the Bearcats defeated Pacific Lutheran University, 8-4, in an elimination game at the 2021 Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 14 at Chuck Bafaro Stadium. The Bearcats will play in the NWC Tournament Championship game(s) against Pacific University on Saturday, May 15. Earlier on Friday, Willamette fell to Pacific, 12-3, in the winner's bracket game.

Pacific is undefeated in the tournament, so Willamette will have to defeat the Boxers twice on Saturday to win the NWC Tournament Championship and claim the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament. The first game on Saturday is scheduled for 12 p.m. (PDT). The second game, if necessary, is set to begin at 3 p.m.

In the Bearcats' win over Pacific Lutheran on Friday, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (So., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) was 3 for 5 with his 10th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the first inning. Willamette has pounded out a school record 67 home runs this season, breaking the previous record of 66 home runs in 2008.

Starting pitcher Eric Waldichuk (Jr., RHP/INF, San Diego, CA/University City HS) threw four innings against the Lutes, and Matt Pisacane (Jr., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS) tossed the final five stanzas. Pisacane allowed just one run and five hits, while improving to 5-0 on the season.

"I am incredibly proud of how the team bounced back today in the second game," said Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick. "We have played great defense all weekend. Matt Pisacane pitched incredibly well and we had timely hitting in our big inning."

Werkmeister-Martin Earns Three Hits in 8-4 Win over Lutes

The home run by Werkmeister-Martin in the first inning against PLU started the Bearcats on their way to defeating the Lutes. Sean Little (Sr., 2B, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS), who opened the game with a single to right field, also scored on the play.

Willamette trailed 3-2 after the Lutes tallied three runs in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Andy Schmitz hit a triple to right. One out later, Jordan Haworth walked and Cole Trotignon was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Schmitz to score, and a 2-run double by Austin Gormley brought Haworth and Trotignon across the plate.

The Lutes remained in front by a single run until the top of the fifth inning, when Willamette used six hits and one error two score six times for an 8-3 lead. Little singled to left field to start the big inning. Werkmeister-Martin connected on a double to send Little to third. Samuel Daly (So., RF, El Dorado Hills, CA/Jesuit HS) walked, loading the bases. Ethan Fischel (Jr., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) hit a double to left center to drive in Little, but Werkmeister-Martin was thrown out at the plate. Michael Nelsen (Sr., C, Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago HS) hit an RBI single to left and Layton Wagner (So., INF/RHP, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) provided an RBI single toward the shortstop, as WU moved in front 5-3.

Matt Pisacane (Jr., RHP, San Diego, CA/San Dieguito HS)

Jeff Hoffman (Fy., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) was hit by a pitch, which reloaded the bases. Tyler Vandemark (Sr., OF, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) followed with a 2-run single to center, allowing Wagner and Nelsen to score. An errant pickoff throw by the pitcher brought Hoffman home, while Vandemark went to second base. With two outs, Little walked, putting runners at first and second. The shortstop caught a popup by Werkmeister-Martin to end the inning.

Pisacane went to the mound in the bottom of the fifth. The Lutes recorded two hits and a walk in the fifth, but the WU defense forced PLU to leave the bases loaded. Pisacane kept PLU from scoring for three more innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Schmitz earned a leadoff single, but pinch-runner Claxton Ward was thrown out at second when Alex Boyd hit into a fielder's choice. Boyd went to second when Haworth walked, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on a groundout by Trotignon. Gormley grounded out to end the game.

Willamette outhit the Lutes, 12-10. Werkmeister-Martin's 3-for-5 effort included a home run, a double, one run, and two RBIs. He hit for three-fourths of the cycle. Little was 2 of 4 with two runs scored. Vandemark went 2 of 4 with two RBIs. Fischel was 2 of 4, including a double, a run, and an RBI. Wagner finished 2 of 5 with one run and one RBI.

For PLU, Schmitz was 3 of 5 with a triple and a run scored. Cody Bently was 2 of 4. Gormley was 1 for 1 with a double and two RBIs.

Boxers Pull Away from Bearcats, 12-3

In Willamette's first game on Friday, Pacific University grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Chase Anderson belted a solo homer to begin the stanza. Ryan Krout and Ian Blair hit back-to-back doubles to create the second run. Blair scored with one out on a double by Jordan Hara. A strikeout and a lineout ended the threat.

The Bearcats rallied to tie the game at 3-3 after scoring once in the second, third, and fifth innings. In the second, Nelsen doubled to right field with two outs and scored when Vandemark reached base on an error at third.

Little walked to open the third inning, then advanced to second on a single by Werkmeister-Martin and went to third on an infield single by Daly. Little scored on a fielder's choice by Fischel. In the fifth inning, Nelsen hit a double with one out to drive in Hoffman with the tying run.

Five runs in the bottom of the sixth gave Pacific an 8-3 advantage. The Boxers recorded six hits during the frame, including a double by Blair, an RBI triple by Hara, an RBI double by Davis Koester, and a 2-RBI single by Anderson. The Boxers tacked on four runs in the seventh. Brandon Silowka drove in two of the runs with a double.

Anderson was 2 of 5 with a homer, one run, and three RBIs. Blair went 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs, and an RBI. Hara also was 2 for 3 to go with a double, two runs, and two RBIs. Nelsen finished 2 of 4 for Willamette with two doubles, a run, and an RBI.

Koester was the winning pitcher for Pacific as he improved to 5-1. He tossed the sixth and seventh innings and allowed just one hit, while recording two strikeouts and one walk. WU starter Justin Miller (Sr./Jr., RHP, Poway, CA/Poway HS/Palomar CC) fell to 4-2 with the loss. Miller registered five strikeouts.