Schikore & Lau Lead Bearcats to Split with Lutes of PLU in Opening Doubleheader

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Sophomore Nate Schikore and senior Preston Lau helped lead Willamette University's baseball team to a double header split against the visiting Lutes of Pacific Lutheran University Saturday afternoon at Roy Helser Field on the campus of Linfield University. The Bearcats fell in the opener, 11-0, before rebounding in the nightcap picking up a 3-1 victory. Lau was a combined 5-for-7 at the plate with a combined two RBIs, while Schikore allowed one earned run over 7.1 innings of work in Game #2 to pick up his first win of the season.

With today's results, Willamette improves to 7-11 overall and 5-3 in Northwest Conference play. Meanwhile, Pacific Lutheran moves to 7-12 overall and 4-7 in NWC contests.

GAME #1 — PACIFIC LUTHERAN 11, WILLAMETTE 0

In the opener, Pacific Lutheran scored runs in the third, seventh, and ninth innings and took advantage of six Willamette errors en route to earning a shutout victory, 11-0, behind a complete game performance by Alex Lopez.

The visiting Lutes plated a pair of runs in the third inning when Brody Phinney stroked a RBI single to left center to score Rochne Beecham before Aaron Barber came across home plate on a throwing error by Willamette's shortstop. One batter later, Ethan Keintz brought Phinney home on a single to right center for the early 3-0 lead for PLU.

Four innings later, PLU added five more runs on hits by Rutger Youch, Phinney, and Carson Burke. Beecham scored another Lute run with the bases loaded when Ethan Keintz hit a ball to Willamette's shortstop, who unleashed a throw that pulled the Bearcats' catcher off the plate allowing Beecham to score on another fielding miscue by the Bearcats to push PLU's lead to 8-0.

In the ninth inning, Pacific Lutheran tacked on three more runs on three run-scoring groundouts when the Lutes took advantage of two more Willamette errors that extended the inning long enough for PLU to plate their ninth, 10th, and 11th runs of the game.

Lau lead Willamette's offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, while Tassos Foster and Drew Baskin registered the other hits for the host Bearcats. On the mound, Steven Verespey went 6.0 innings allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits to go along with a game-high seven strikeouts. Four other Bearcats – Matthew Mason, Adrian Gonzalez, Cameron Hayman, and Dari Liuzzi – combined to pitch the final 3.0 innings, as the quartet allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits with a pair of K's.

Pacific Lutheran was led offensively by Barber and Phinney with three hits each, while Phinney and Burke drove in two runs apiece. On the hill, Lopez went the distance allowing a mere four hits to go along with three strikeouts en route to picking up his second win of the season.

GAME #2 — WILLAMETTE 3, PACIFIC LUTHERAN 1

In today's finale, Willamette took advantage of five straight hits in the bottom of the second inning en route to scoring three runs and rode the arms of a trio of Bearcat pitchers – Schikore, Brandon Goodell, and Dylan Turner – to a 3-1 victory over the Lutes.

Pacific Lutheran got on the scoreboard early, as the visiting Lutes plated a run in the top of the first inning on a run-scoring single to left center by Barber that scored Youch giving PLU the early lead, 1-0.

In the bottom of the second inning, Baskin started off the Bearcats' at-bat with a single off PLU's starter Matthew Sherwood before Nate Hamburger knocked a single into center field to advance Baskin to second. Following Trevor Sostman's single to center field that loaded the bases, Lau roped a two-run single to left field to bring home Baskin and Hamburger for Willamette's first lead of the afternoon. One batter later, Sostman came home on a ground out to cap the Bearcats' scoring that gave the host team a 3-1 lead.

Despite getting two runners to second base over the next six innings, Pacific Lutheran could not overcome solid pitching and defensive performances by Willamette. The Bearcats got eight combined innings from Schikore and Goodell before Turner closed out the game without allowing a base runner to earn his second save of the season.

Lau once again led Willamette's offense with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate to go along with a pair of RBIs, while six other Bearcats – Foster, Luke Piazza, Baskin, Hamburger, Sostman, and Carter Stoltz – tallied a hit each. Schikore allowed one earned run on five hits over 7.1 innings of work to go along with a game-high tying three K's, while Goodell went 0.2 innings and Turner pitched a perfect ninth inning.

Pacific Lutheran got a 2-for-4 performance from Youch, while Sherwood allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 7.0 innings of work with three strikeouts before Kamryn Swartz registered the final three outs for the Lutes.

Both teams return to Roy Helser Field on the campus of Linfield University tomorrow – Sunday, March 30 – for the third and final game of the weekend starting at 12:00 PM.