Bearcats Split Doubleheader with Lewis & Clark to Start Final Home Series

Keizer, Ore. - Willamette Baseball started the final home series of the season by splitting the doubleheader with Lewis & Clark.  The Bearcats dropped the opening game 24-7 before rebounding to down the Pioneers 14-3.  Luke Piazza had three hits in each game, with four RBIs in game two, while Rocco Granucci added a solo home run.  Drew Baskin had three hits in game one to go with three runs batted in.

Game one started in the Pioneers' favor as they scored once in the first, three more in the second, and added two in the third to take a 6-0 lead.  The Bearcats recorded their first hit in the bottom of the fourth on a Piazza single, but the inning quickly ended on a double play ground ball by the next batter.

Lewis & Clark broke the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth, but the Bearcats tried to rally back in the bottom of the inning.  After Preson Lau walked with one out, Luke Piazza brought him home on a double to right center to score Willamette's first run.  After a single by Tassos Foster and a walk to Rocco Granucci to load the bases, Baskin singled to score a run, and Foster scored on a wild pitch.  Charlie Ferbet brought home Granucci on a sacrifice fly to make the score 13-4 in favor of the Pios.

The visitors put the game out of reach with an eight-run eighth inning, but Willamette continued to battle.  Consecutive doubles by Granucci, Baskin, and Trevor Sostman to lead off the bottom of the inning scored two runs for the Bearcats, and they added one more in the ninth on a single by Baskin that brought home Matthew Rienhardt.

Game two was Willamette's turn to jump out to an early lead.  Nate Hamburger doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and came home on a triple by Luke Piazza.  Tassos Foster followed with a single to score Piazza and the Bearacats led 2-0 after one inning.  

Trevor Sostman started the second inning with a double and Willamette quickly loaded the bases on a walk to Baskin and a single by Liam O'Connor.  With one out, Hamburger doubled again to score two runs, and after a run-scoring groundout by Lau, Piazza singled home Hamburger to make the score 6-0.

The Bearcats added three more runs in the third when Lau was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Piazza singled home two more.  After Willamette scored two more times in the fourth, the Pioneers finally broke through off starter Nate Schikore, scoring three runs to cut the Bearcat lead to 11-3.

Granucci led off the bottom of the seventh to make the score 12-3, and Sostman and Baskin added RBIs in the eighth to put Willamette up 14-3.  Adrian Gonzalez came on to pitch in the top of the sixth and shut down the Pioneers the rest of the way, giving up one hit and striking out six to earn the four-inning save.  

The teams will play the final game of the series on Saturday, April 26th, at 11:00 am.  There will be a ceremony starting at 10:15 am to honor the twelve Willamette student-athletes playing their final home game in a Bearcat uniform.