The Pioneer baseball team opened their four-game weekend series with the Puget Sound Loggers with a 17-7 (box score) victory in a shortened seven-inning game Saturday at the Huston Sports Complex. Sami Morgan and Jordan Wlodarczyk each hit a grand slam for the Pioneers. Game two was suspended after six innings with the Pioneers trailing 9-4.

In the first game, the Pioneers used back-to-back six-run innings to jump out to an early 12-2 lead. In the second inning, Sami Morgan (sophomore, San Mateo, Calif.) came to the plate with the bases loaded and two runs already in and blasted a grand-slam home deep over the left-centerfield fence to put the Pioneers up 6-0.

The Loggers' DH Michael Olsen hit a two-out solo homerun in the third to make it a 6-1 game. In the third inning, the Pioneers loaded the bases with three walks. After a fourth and a fifth walk drove in two runs, Jordan Wlodarczyk (junior, Lake Oswego, Ore.) came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a home run to left to give the Pioneers a 12-1 lead.

After two outs in the top of the fourth, the skies opened up and sent the game into a n hour rain delay. When played resumed, the Loggers Shaun Kiriu drove in two runs on a single through the left side.

The Pioneers answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Sami Morgan drove in his sixth and seventh run of the game with a single up the middle. Jordan Shibata (senior, Pearl City, Hawaii) drove in the other run for the Pioneers on a double to left.

The Loggers scored a single run in the fifth on an RBI single by Jarvis Nohara. The Pioneers added two in the sixth on RBI singles by Chris Estrella (senior, Henderson, Nevada) and AJ Brown (senior, Vancouver, Wash.).

The Loggers added three unearned runs in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to drop the margin below ten runs. Because of the weather and the 17-7 score, the game was ended after seven innings.

Pioneer pitcher Dan Meehan (senior, Lake Oswego, Ore.) evened his record at 3-3, getting the win for the Pioneers. Meehan worked five water-logged innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits, walking three, and striking out four. Weston Chambers (freshman, Kalispell, Montana) finished off the game for the Pioneers, working two innings, allowing no earned runs on three hits, walking one, and striking out one. Dusty Kauflin took the loss for the Loggers.

Sami Morgan was 3-3 with two works, scoring three times, and driving in seven. Jordan Wlodarczyk was 3-5 with a double and a grand slam home run.

For the Loggers, Shaun Kiriu went 3-5 with three runs driven in. Michael Olsen went 2-4 with a solo homerun.

The rains intensified between the two games, with the start of game two not coming until nearly 5pm. The umpires and the two teams decided to finally just play through the rain, come what may. The first five innings of the game were played in constant rain, heavy at times. The game was called after six innings due to darkness with the Loggers leading 9-4.

The Loggers scored five runs in the third inning. A two-run double by Shaun Kiriu and a two-run home run by Joe Newland drove in four of the five Logger runs.

The Pioneers scored a run in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error by the Logger short stop. The Loggers got that run back in the fourth when the Pioneers balked in a run to make it a 6-1 game.

The Pioneers made it 6-3 in the fifth on a two-run home run by Jordan Shibata in the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Loggers mounted a two-out rally, with RBI singles from Michael Olsen, Joe Newland, and Gregorio Beck driving in the three runs to make it 9-3.

The Pioneers had a two-out rally if their own in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles from Roland Greene (freshman, Encinitas, Calif.) and Neal Finch (junior, Boulder, Colo.) to make it 9-4.

The game was then halted due to darkness.

The two teams finished off the game in 45 minutes before Sunday's doubleheader with the Loggers holding on for the 9-4 victory.

Cameron Duvall got the win for the Loggers, coming on in the third inning of the game. He pitched three innings, allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits. He had one strikeout. Tim Fogarty pitched to one batter on Saturday and a full three innings on Sunday to earn a save. He allowed just two hits, walking one, and striking out two. Alex St. Pierre (freshman, Laguna Hills, Calif.) took the loss for the Pioneers.

Gregorio Beck led the Loggers at the plate, going 3-4 with a run scored. Joe Newland hit his 8th home run of the year. He was 2-5 with three runs driven in.

For the Pioneers, Jordan Wlodarczyk went 3-5 at the plate with three singles. Jordan Shibata hit his sixth home run of the season, driving two runs. Six home runs is a career high for Shibata.

THe two teams wrap up the series with a pair of seven-inning games Sunday afternoon.