Willamette Rallies for 11-9 Win in Opener, Takes Second Game 9-4, against Pacific

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University baseball team rallied from an 8-4 deficit to earn an 11-9 victory over Pacific University in the first game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18 at John Lewis Field. In the second game, a solo homer by Clint Walker (Sr., CF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) and a three-run homer by Jeff Hoffman (Jr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) gave the Bearcats a 4-0 lead, and although the Boxers cut the margin to 4-3 in the sixth inning, WU went on to win 9-4.

Willamette upped its record to 6-2 overall, including 2-0 in the NWC. Pacific fell to 3-5 on the season, 0-2 in the NWC.

The Bearcats and the Boxers will complete the three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 19. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m. (PST).

In the first game, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) of Willamette was 3 for 5 with a solo homer, an two-RBI double, and an RBI single, as he hit for three-fourths of the cycle. Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) went 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Hoffman finished 2 of 5 with a double, one run scored, and one RBI. Ethan Fischel (Grad., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) also went 2 of 5 with a run and an RBI.

During the second contest, Walker was 2 of 4 with a homer, two runs, and two RBIs. Joshua Murphy (Jr., C, Everett, WA/Cascade HS/Olympic College) was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI. Hoffman went 1 of 4 with his 24th career homer providing three RBIs to lead all players. Hoffman is sixth on Willamette's career home run list.

Winning pitchers for WU were relievers Will Braaton (Jr., RHP, Highlands Ranch, CO/Thunderridge HS) in Game 1 and Pruitt Spritzer (Sr., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep) in Game 2. Braaton and Spritzer both advanced to 2-0. Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) picked up his fourth save in Game 1, while striking out five batters in 1 2/3 innings.

For Pacific, relief pitcher Davis Koester, 0-1, took the loss in the first game, while starter Jackson Price, 0-2, received the loss in the second game.

Werkmeister-Martin Hits for Three-Fourths of the Cycle in Game 1

In the first game, Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) hit for three-fourths of the cycle, which began when he smacked a solo homer to left field to begin the bottom of the second inning. Pacific responded by scoring four runs in the top of the third for a 4-1 lead. Isaac Lovings drove in the first three runs with a homer to left, while Matt Gibbs scored the fourth run with a solo homer to center.

WU scored three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the score. Walker received a base on balls to open the inning. Hoffman sent Walker to second with a single. One out later, Wagner walked to load the bases. Carl Lawson (Jr., RF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) hit into a fielder's choice, but Walker scored on the play, while Hoffman was thrown out atthird. Werkmeister-Martin batted next and supplied his second hit of the game, a double to drive in Wagner and Lawson.

Four runs by the Boxers in the fifth inning gave Pacific an 8-4 lead. The inning began with solo homers for CJ Colyer and Lovings. Later, Dawson Tokishi hit an RBI single and Tyler Quinn drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Ty Yukumoto grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Wagner singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on a single by Werkmeister-Martin. WU registered six hits in the sixth inning to take a 9-8 lead. The hits included a double by Drew Baskin (So., 2B, Eagle, ID/Arroyo Grande HS), and an RBI double by Hoffman, plu four singles.

The Bearcats increased the lead to 11-8 with two runs in the seventh inning. Dunnam provided an RBI on a sacrifice squeeze butn that led to an unsuccessful attempt by Pacific pitcher Tyler Agnew to throw out Jonny Suchor (Jr., INF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) at the plate. Baskin also scored in the seventh on a wild pitch.

Joyner went to the mound with one out in the eighth inning and a runner at first base. He gave up a single to Lovings, but got out of the inning with two strikeouts. In the ninth, Robert Drayer was hit by a pitch with one out. Tokishi and Quinn singled to score Drayer. Yukumoto walked, but Joyner struck out Colyer and Lovings to end the game.

Walker and Hoffman Belt Homers for Bearcats in Game 2

Home runs by Walker and Hoffman boosted Willamette out to a 4-0 lead in the second game. Walker smacked a solo homer to right field to start the bottom of the first. Hoffman blasted a three-run homer near the left field line in the bottom of the third.

The Boxers scored two runs in the fourth inning and one run in the sixth to reduce WU's advantage to 4-3. In the fourth, Lovings and Andrew Thomas walked and later scored. In the sixth, Joey Harmon hit a double to left field to open the stanza, and later scored on an infield single by Quinn.

WU pitcher Steven Verespey (Fy., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) held Pacific scoreless in the seventh and eighth, while Willamette scored in the bottom of those innings to add five runs to the lead. In the seventh, Baskin scored on a single by Walker. In the eighth, Fischel walked and later scored on a bunt single by Lawson, who continued to second on an error. Lawson reached home three batters later on a single by Baskin. With runners at first and third, Baskin stole second and Suchor stole home, with Baskin advancing to third on an errant throw to second. Murphy singled to drive in Baskin for a 9-4 lead.