GAME ONE

GAME TWO

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark baseball team picked up two wins over the visiting Puget Sound Loggers on Saturday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex in a Northwest Conference double-header. The Pioneers picked up their third extra innings victory of the season in game one, defeating the Loggers 9-8 after 10 innings of action. The Pioneers left no room for doubt in game two, earning a convincing 8-4 win.

With the win the Pioneers improve to 8-12 on the season and 6-8 in NWC action. The Loggers slip to 9-12 overall and 4-4 in conference play.

In game one, the two teams kept each other close the entire contest, with Puget Sound earning the first lead of the game with a run in the top of the first inning. The Pioneers answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of a two-run home run by junior Nate Grisham. Grisham nailed the well over the high fence in right field, scoring both himself and Michael Ball.

Casey Coberly singled to center field in the second inning to knock in Will Mentor, pulling the Loggers even with the Pioneers 2-2. A double down the right field line by junior Guiseppe Baffaro in the bottom of the second inning, brought Parker Dane in to score for the Pioneers, putting the Pios up 3-2.

A leadoff home run by Jason Powell in the top of the fourth once again tied the game, this time 3-3. Puget Sound kept the momentum, taking the lead for just the second time in the game in the top of the eighth, with Matt Cox coming around to score on an RBI single to the shortstop by Powell.

The Pioneers posted two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to recapture the lead, this time with Andrew Frisina and Jim Bray scoring. Frisina came in on a double to right field by Bray, after coming in to pinch run for Nate Grisham, who reached base on a single to center. Dane knocked Bray in moments later with a single up the middle.

With the Pioneers up 5-4 in the top of the ninth inning, the Loggers came from behind to tie the game once more, sending the game into extra innings. The Loggers buckled down and found their offensive rhythm in the top of the 10th, posting three runs on four hits. Chaz Kramer, Mentor and Coberly all crossed the plate for Puget Sound.

Facing a 8-5 deficit, the Pioneers did something they have done two other times this season - ended the game with an extra innings victory. The Pioneers managed to put up four runs in the bottom of the 10th to take a 9-8 win.

The Pioneers half of the inning began with a double to right field by Bray. With two outs, Dane once again hit a clutch single that drove Bray in. Geoff Wertz followed Dane's at bat wtih a double to right field, putting Dane on third and the game tying run on second. Baffaro found a gap up the middle of the field seconds later, driving both Dane and Wertz in. With the winning run on first, Ball stepped up to the plate and smacked a double to the right field fence, sending Baffaro flying around the bases and across the plate.

Besides picking up the game winning hit, Ball was also the games winning pitcher, while hitting 4-for-6 in the game. Dane finished the game 4-for-4 with two RBI's. Junior Alex St. Pierre started the game for the Pioneers, pitching eight innings, allowing just nine hits and striking out eight.

Game two was far less dramatic than the first, with the Pioneers taking the lead in teh bottom of the first inning and never letting it go. Puget Sound once again plated a run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Dane picked up an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning, driving in Baffaro to give the Pioneers a 3-1 lead. Tucker Laurence followed Dane's RBI single with one of his own moments later, sending Ball home.

The Loggers tied things at 4-4 in the top of the third inning with Mark Rockey, Kramer and Coberly coming in to score.

The Pioneers plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead, starting with an RBI single by freshman Zach Perez. Bray came around to score the teams second run of the inning on a fielders choice.

Two more runs in the bottom of the sixth would prove to be enough for the Pioneers, as they took an 8-4 lead, which the Loggers were never able to chip away at. Dane picked up an RBI in the inning, scoring Ball from second with a single to center field. Dane came around to score moments later on a Grisham double down the left field line.

Ball ended the game 4-of-5, scoring three of the Pios runs. Dane finished 2-of-4 with two runs scored and two RBI's.

Junior Ryo Kawashima picked up his first win of the season, after pitching 6.2 scoreless innings. Kawashima faced 21 batters, striking out three.

The Pioneers and Loggers have one more game in the series, which will take place on Sunday, March 28 at 12 p.m. at the Huston Sports Complex. Fans in attendence will be treated to hot dogs as part of the Pioneer Athletics Club (PAC)/Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) BBQ.