The Pioneers and the Whitworth Pirates split their Saturday
doubleheader with the Pioneers taking game one 14-4 (box score) before
falling in game two 1-0 (box score). AJ Brown
drove in seven runs, all in the first game.
In game one, the Pirates took an early 2-0 lead. Jon Whiteside
hit a one-out double to right field. He came around to score on a
single up the middle by Dan Ramsay. Another double up the middle
from Scott Ward scored the second run of the inning.
The Pioneers answered with five runs in the bottom of the first.
The Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs. The Pioneers' cleanup
hitter, AJ Brown (junior, Vancouver, Ore.) doubled to right field
to drive in two runs. After getting two outs, sloppy defense
allowed the Pioneers to score three more runs on a pair of errors
by the Pirate infield, putting the Pioneers up 5-2.
After the Pioneers scored a third inning run on a double by Mike
Orr (senior, Boulder, Colo.) followed by an RBI single by Ryan
Kostecka (freshman, Napa, Calif.) before having another five-run
inning in the fifth. Mike Orr started the inning with his second
double of the game, scoring on a single to left by Sami Morgan
(sophomore, San Mateo, Calif.). Chris Estrella (senior, Henderson,
Nevada) drove in a second run with a single. Morgan and Estrella
came around to score on the first home run of the season from AJ
Brown, putting the Pioneers up 11-2.
The Pioneers added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kostecka led off the inning with a single up the middle, eventually
coming around to score on an error by the Pirate second baseman.
Back-to-back doubles by Estrella and Brown helped score the other
two runs to make it 14-2.
The Pirates got their leadoff runner aboard on a Pioneers error
in their final at bat in the seventh inning. An RBI double by Jon
Whiteside plated that run, with a single by Dan Ramsay accounting
for the other unearned run in the inning, making it a 14-4 final.
For the Pioneers, AJ Brown went 4-5 with three doubles and a
home run, driving in seven runs in the game. Mike Orr was 3-4 with
two doubles and two runs scored.
For the Pirates, Dan Ramsay was 2-4 with 2 RBI. Jon Whiteside
was 3-5 with two doubles, scoring twice and driving in a run.
Tucker Laurence (freshman, San Martin, Calif.) improved to 4-0
on the season for the Pioneers, pitching the complete game to earn
the win. Laurence allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits,
walking two and striking out one. Starter Ryan Snell took the loss
for the Pirates. In his four innings of work, he allowed seven runs
(four earned) on ten hits.
In game two, the 1-0 score was not indicative of the action on
the field with both pitchers having to work out of trouble to keep
the score down. The two teams combined for 12 hits and seven errors
with the Pirates stranding 11 runners and the Pioneers nine. The
Pirates advanced a runner to third base in five of the seven
innings, but only managed to plate one run. The Pioneers left
runners stranded on third twice.
The lone run of the game came in the third inning. The Pirates
Dan Belet walked to lead off the inning. He scored on a sacrifice
fly to right field by Dan Ramsey.
Whitworth starter Collin Gibbs earned his first victory of the
season, getting the 7-inning complete game shut out. He allowed six
hits, walking one and striking out three.
Jordon Smiley (senior, Las Vegas, Nevada) took the hard-luck
loss, also working a complete game, allowing one run on six hits
with five strikeouts and three walks.
Whitworth is now 8-14 overall and 7-9 in the Northwest
Conference. The Pioneers are 5-15, 3-13 in the NWC.
The Pioneers play a midweek game against Division I University
of Portland Wednesday afternoon at 3pm in North Portland. They are
on the road next weekend, taking on the Whitman Missionaries in
Walla Walla.
