Pitchers Excel for Bearcats, Hoffman and Lawson Hit Homers, in 7-6 Win at GFU

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

NEWBERG, Ore. -- Four Willamette University pitchers combined to allow just six runs and one walk, and Jeff Hoffman (Jr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) and Carl Lawson (Jr., RF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) each belted a home run, as the Bearcats defeated George Fox University on Saturday, March 4 at Morse Athletic Field. GFU held leads of 3-1 after three innings and 4-2 after four, but the Bearcats rallied to take a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning before holding off the Bruins.

George Fox earned 13 hits compared to five hits for the Bearcats, but Willamette prevented the Bruins from scoring more than one run in an inning. Willamette tallied two runs in the fifth and sixth stanzas.

"We didn't play our best, but pitched out of jams and had a few timely hits to get the win," Willamette Head Baseball Coach Aaron Swick said.

Willamette starter Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) pitched six innings and allowed 11 hits and five runs. He left with a 6-5 lead after the Bruins scored a run in the bottom of the sixth.

After the Bearcats plated a run in the top of the seventh for a 7-5 edge, JD Willis (Jr., LHP, Chandler, AZ/Perry HS) pitched a scoreless and hitless bottom of the seventh. Will Braaton (Jr., RHP, Highlands Ranch, CO/Thunderridge HS) of WU faced three batters in the eighth and was replaced by Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) with one out and runners at first and second. After a double-steal, Joyner gave up a sacrifice fly, but forced a groundout to end the inning with WU in front 7-6. Joyner faced four batters in the ninth and allowed a one-out single by Mason Eastman before ending the game with a flyout and a strikeout.

It was Joyner's fifth save of the season and the 14th save of his career. He is tied with Jackson Watt (2013-16) for second all-time at Willamette. The school record for career saves is 23 by Mike Corey (1994-98).

As Willamette's pitchers kept GFU from gaining momentum on offense, the Willamette lineup battled at the plate and pushed across enough runs to earn the win. The Bearcats took advantage of the homers by Hoffman and Lawson, plus doubles by Luke Werkmeister-Martin (Sr., 1B, Louisville, CO/Monarch HS) and Drew Baskin (So., 2B, Eagle, ID/Arroyo Grande HS), and a total of five walks and two hit batters to outscore the Bruins.

Hoffman belted a solo homer to center field as the second batter in the first inning. It was the 25th home run of his career and tied him with Max Stepan (2011-15) for fifth on Willamette's all-time list.

George Fox tied the score in the bottom of the first. Eastman started the inning with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brandon King. Eastman scored on a groundout to second by Jeremy Sangalang.

In the second inning, Jared Miller hit a bunt single with one out, allowing Tyler Durant to score. In the third inning, Durant added an RBI single as GFU claimed a 3-1 lead. Lawson smacked a solo home run with two outs in the top of the fourth, reducing the Bruins' lead to 3-2. Lawson's homer, his first with the Bearcats, went over the right field fence.

The Bruins upped the lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Bleu Ellis singled and went to second on a base hit by Miller. Ellis scored on two errors during the the play and Miller was thrown out at second. WU tied the game in the fifth when Baskin and Jonny Suchor (Jr., INF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) scored on a sacrifice bunt by Clint Walker (Sr., CF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS).

Werkmeister-Margin smacked a two-run double to left field in the sixth inning to give Willamette a 6-4 lead as Wagner and Ethan Fischel (Grad., SS, Eureka, CA/Eureka HS) crossed the plate. Miller hit an RBI double to center for GFU in the bottom of the stanza to score Jonathan Stone, reducing the margin to one run.

Baskin doubled down the left field line to open the seventh inning. He went to third on a flyout by Ethan Dunnam (Sr., C, El Cajon, CA/Valhalla HS) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Walker, expanding WU's lead to 7-5. Although the Bruins scored once in the eighth inning, Willamette's pitching staff preserved the win.

Walker led Willamette with three RBIs on his sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. Werkmeister-Martin added two RBIs for Willamette. Baskin was 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Lawson went 1 for 2 with a homer, one run, and one RBI. Fischel was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. For George Fox, Eastman was 3 for 5 with a run scored and Durant finished 3 of 4 with a run and an RBI. Miller also was 3 of 4 and had two RBIs.

The Bearcats and the Bruins will complete the series with a doubleheader in Newberg, Oregon, on Sunday, March 5. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. (PST).