The Pioneer baseball team finished off Saturday's action with
three scoreless innings to close out game two of the series. In
game three, the Pioneers gave up a late run to fall 7-6 (box score) to the
Loggers. TJ Witkowski had three hits in the game for the Pioneers.
In the final game, an eight run eighth inning gave the Loggers a
10-2 (box
score) victory over the Pioneers.
The Pioneers and Loggers got an early start to the day,
completing the second game of their series, moving first pitch up
to 11 am. The two teams whipped through three scoreless innings
with the Pioneers falling 9-4 (complete recap).
In game two, the Pioneers fell 7-6, with pitcher Tucker Laurence
(freshman, San Martin, Calif.) earning his first loss of the
season. The game had two rain delays, the first 25 minuts and the
second 27 minutes, but most of the action was played in dry
conditions.
Evan Fairmont (junior, Boulder, Colo.), pitched three scoreless
innings of relief in the resumed game, and then retook the hill as
the starter of game three. After getting two quick outs to start
the game, the Loggers hit back-to-back two out singles. A three run
home run by Georgio Beck gave UPS a quick 3-0 lead.
The Pioneers scored a run of their own in the bottom of the
inning with a two-out single off the bat of TJ Witkowski (freshman,
Tooele, Utah) driving in a run for the Pioneers.
In the second inning, the Loggers' Doug Cox doubled to lead off
the inning. After being sacrificed to third, he scored on a single
by Travis Hernandez. Hernandez eventually came around to score when
a fellow baserunner got himself into a rundown between first and
second, allowing Hernandez to steal home to make it a 5-1 game.
The Pioneers cut into the Logger lead in the third with a
two-run home run by TJ Witkowski to make it a 5-3 game. The
Pioneers drew within one in the fifth when another Witkowski RBI
hit, this one a single, made it 5-4. A two-run double two batters
later by Roland Greene gave the Pioneers a 6-5 lead.
The Loggers' Shaun Kiriu hit a one-out double in the sixth.
Dakota Resnik followed with a single to drive in Kiriu and tie the
game.
In the seventh inning, Tucker Laurence got two quick outs and
the game seemed destined for extra frames when a double by Jason
Powell kept things going for the Loggers. A single to center by
Travis Hernandez was bobbled in the outfield, keeping a throw from
the plate from happening and allowing Powell to score an
uncontested go-ahead run.
The Pioneers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end the
game with the final 7-6 score.
Ryan Gustafson pitched four solid innings of relief for the
Loggers to earn his second victory of the season. Travis Hernandez
went 2-4 driving in two runs. Shaun Kiriu went 3-4 with a run
scored.
TJ Witkowski was the offesnive hero for the Pioneers, going 3-4,
driving in four of the Pioneers' six runs.
In the final game of the series, the Loggers came up with an
eight run eighth to win 10-2.
The Pioneers' startng pitcher Jordon Smiley (senior, Las Vegas,
Nevada) had a strong start to the game, not giving up a hit and
allowing only one baserunner in the first four innings. Smiley's
battery mate, catcher Neal Finch (junior, Boulder, Colo.) staked
Smiley to a 1-0 lead in the third when he led off the inning with a
home run.
Smiley's no-hitter and shutout were broken up in the fifth on a
solo shot by UPS' Gregorio Beck. The Loggers went up 2-1 in the
sixth inning on a pair of doubles, one by Shaun Kiriu followed by
one from Michael Olsen.
The Pioneers tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth. After
getting a leadoff walk, the Pioneers advanced runners to second and
third with no outs. A groundout scored a run to tie the game. After
a scoreless seventh, the two teams headed to extra innings.
In the eighth, the Loggers exploded for eight runs, sending
fourteen batters to the plate. There were three hit batters, two
walks, two singles, and two doubles, including a three-run
bases-clearing double by Travis Hernandez, to put the game out of
reach.
Ryan Gustafson got his second win of the series, working two
hitless innings to earn the win. Jordon Smiley took the loss for
the Pioneers.
Shaun Kirium Dakota Resnik, and Jason Powell each had two hits
in the game for the Loggers.
Jordan Shibata (senior, Pearl City, Hawaii) had two hits for the
Pioneers.
The Loggers edge above .500 for the season with a 14-13 overall
record. They pull even at 10-10 in the NWC. The Pioneers fall to
10-18, 8-16 NWC.
The Pioneers are on the road next weekend, going to McMinnville
for a four-game weekend series against the Linfield Wildcats.
