Game One
Game Two
SALEM, Ore. – Alex St. Pierre helped guide
the Lewis & Clark baseball team to a 6-4 Northwest Conference
win over the Willamette Bearcats on Saturday afternoon in game one
of the twinbill. The Bearcats earned a 10-8 win in the second game
to split the decision.
The Pioneers improve to 3-6 on the season and 2-3 in NWC action.
The Bearcats are now 3-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
The Pioneers had all six of their runs scored before the Bearcats
managed to put a tally on the scoreboard in game one. The Pioneers
started the contest in grand style with a lead-off home run by
sophomore Michael Ball. Junior Nate Grisham drove in the next
Pioneer run, sending Sami Morgan home on a single down the line in
left.
Junior Tucker Laurence hammered one out of the park in the top of
the third inning, putting his team up 3-0. Just two innings later,
Ball led off with yet another home run, this time firing it over
the fence in right field. Grisham came around to score later in the
inning after Roland Greene hit one in the gap in right field.
Laurence found his way home in the seventh inning on a bizarre
fielder's choice by Greene. Laurence, who stared out on
second, made his way to third on the play and was able to make his
way home after Greene got caught in a pickle.
Willamette carried their momentum into their offensive half of the
inning, scoring three runs on two hits and an error, to cut the Pio
advantage to 6-3. The Bearcats posted their final run of the
contest in the ninth inning on an error by the Pio defense, but it
would not help much, as the Pios managed to close out the game with
the next batter.
Game two began with the Pios once again posting a first inning run,
with Ball making his way across the plate on a sacrifice fly by
Grisham. The difference this game would be the Bearcat offense, who
managed to get things going early, countering the Pios first inning
run with two of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The Bearcats picked up two more runs in the second inning, jumping
ahead 4-1. The Pioneers cut the Bearcat lead in half in the fourth
inning with a lead-off home run by sophomore Parker Dane on a 0-2
count.
Willamette took a 10-2 lead after scoring six runs in the fifth and
sixth innings combined. The Pioneers put together a great comeback
attempt in the top of the seventh inning, earning two runs back to
make the score 10-4. Morgan batted in the first run of the inning
with an RBI single to center field, scoring Andrew Frisina from
second base. Morgan scored the second run of the inning, courtesy
of a Bearcat error.
Four runs in the eighth inning pulled the Pioneers within two runs
of Willamette with an inning left to play. Morgan jacked a four-run
grand slam over the center field wall with a 1-1 count, driving in
Jim Bray, Zach Perez, Ball and himself.
The comeback was short lived as the Pioneer offense could not
manage to get anything going in the ninth inning, handing the
Bearcats the 10-8 win.
The two teams play the final game of their three game series on
Sunday, March 7 at 12 p.m. in McMinnville.
