Granucci Hits a Homer in Both Games, but Sagehens Win 11-5 and 10-7

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CLAREMONT, Calif. -- Rocco Granucci (Jr., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) of Willamette University blasted a home run in both games against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday, May 18, but the Sagehens won both games, 11-5 and 10-7, to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five regional series. Willamette ended the day with a 29-15 overall record. Pomona-Pitzer improved to 34-12. The series will conclude on Sunday, May 19, starting at 10 a.m. If Willamette wins the first game on Sunday, a second game will be played at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing from the regional.

The Sagehens relied heavily on the long ball, as they scored seven runs in the first game on homers and scored eight runs on homers in the second game. Pomona-Pitzer has hit 56 home runs on the season. Willamette has pounded 48 homers this year. 

Granucci Homers, Walker Triples, but Sagehens Win Game 2 of Series

In the first game on Saturday, Granucci blasted a home run and Clint Walker (Grad., CF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) hit a triple for Willamette, but Pomona-Pitzer won, 11-5, to tie the best-of-five series at 1-1. The Sagehens hit four homers with one each by JC Ng, Greg Pierantoni, Nate Jakobs, and Gold.

Pomona-Pitzer took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a single by Jimmy Legg that scored Ng and Jakobs. The Sagehens increased their advantage to 4-0 after Isaac Kim provided sacrifice flies in the second and fourth innings.

Willamette answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth and two runs in the fifth. In the fourth, Carl Lawson (Sr., OF, Whittier, CA/Lutheran HS/Cal Poly Pomona) reached first on an error with two outs. Lawson moved to third on walks by Walker and Wyatt Thames (Jr., OF, Elk Grove, CA/Huntington Beach HS/Biola University). Lawson scored on a passed ball.

Granucci smashed a two-run homer with two outs in fifth to pull WU within 4-3. Tassos Foster (Sr., 2B, Novato, CA/Novato HS) who reached base on a fielders' choice, also scored.

Each team tallied a run in the sixth inning, leaving PP with a 5-4 lead. For the Sagehens, Pierantoni hit a solo homer with two outs. Walker tripled for Willamette with one out in the bottom of the inning and scored with two outs on a single to center by Liam O'Connor (Fy., SS, Evergreen, CO/Conifer HS).

Gold opened the seventh with a homer for Pomona-Pitzer. Later, Ng belted a three run homer for a 9-4 lead. Jackson Fleming and Matthew Nishimura also scored. Granucci crossed the plate for WU in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Luke Piazza (Jr., 1B, Simi Valley, CA/Royal HS/UC Davis), but the Sagehens added two runs in the eighth Jakobs' homer.

Pomona-Pitzer starter Hannoh Seo, 9-1, pitched six innings and allowed four runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Eric Prough tossed three innings for his fourth save. Ng was 4 of 5 with a homer, two doubles and three RBIs. Logan Haslam fell to 1-1 for WU. He allowed four runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts in five innings. Six WU players provided a hit.

Granucci and Gold Each Hit a 3-Run Homer in Ninth Inning of Game 3

The end of the second game featured heroics by a player from each team. In the top of the ninth, Granucci's three-run homer for Willamette tied the game at 7-7. In the bottom of the ninth, Gold's three-run homer provided a 10-7 win for the Sagehens.

Willamette grabbed a 4-0 lead by plating one run in the second inning and three runs in the third. In the second, Thames singled to right center with one out. He went to second on a single by O'Connor, and scored one out later when Foster singled to center. The third inning started with Granucci receiving a walk and Piazza belting a double to right. Lawson singled through the right side to score Granucci, and Walker grounded out to score Piazza. With two outs, O'Connor went to first on a throwing error, as Larson scored.

The Sagehens earned two runs in the bottom of the third to pull within 4-2. Tanner DeGrazia scored on a single by Ng, and Lateef Wakil crossed the plate on a single by Pierantoni. During the bottom of the fifth, Pomona-Pitzer scored four times for a 6-4 lead. The first three runs scored on a homer by Isaac Kim. Gold added a solo homer with two outs.

In the seventh, Willamette left two runners on base after Granucci walked with one out, and Lawson walked with two outs. The Bearcats were a bit unlucky during the inning as Piazza lined out to right field and Walker lined out to center.

A solo home run by Wakil with two outs in the bottom of the eighth increased Pomona-Pitzer's advantage to 7-4. In the top of the ninth, Willamette's at bat began with a walk by Foster followed by a passed ball. Hoffman also walked before Granucci smacked a three-run homer to center field to tie the game.

"I was looking for a certain pitch in a zone and I got it, and I was able to put a good swing on it," Granucci recalled during the post-game press conference.

Pierantoni and Jakobs walked for the Sagehens in the bottom of the ninth. Gold drove in the winning runs with a three-run homer.

Granucci was 2 for 2 with a homer, two runs, three walks, and three RBIs. Six Bearcats recorded one hit, including Piazza's double. Gold was 2 for 5 and led PP with two homers and four RBIs. Peter Savas was 3 for 3 with a run. The last pitchers took the decisions, as Prough improved to 5-3 and Brady Joyner (Sr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) fell to 1-3.