Box Score BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark baseball team slugged it out with the Willamette Bearcats on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference match-up with the visitors coming out on top 15-14 after 11 innings of action.
Senior Geoff Wertz gave the Pioneers plenty of scoring opportunities, finishing the contest 5-for-6 from the plate, while walking once. Wertz finished tied with a team-high three RBI along with Evan Gray. Andrew Traver was 3-for-4 from the plate, coming around to score three times.
Willamette struck first with a single run coming across the plate in the first inning. The Pioneers pulled ahead in the bottom of the second with three runs coming in, before tacking on a single run in the following inning.
Traver came in to score the Pioneers first run of the game on a double to right field by Hayden Higger. Traver led off the inning with a well-placed ball through the left side. Corey Davis came around on the next Pio at bat with good base running on an RBI ground out by Matthew Cathcart. The final run of the second inning came in on a double to right center by Wertz.
A solo shot by Traver in the third accounted for the Pioneers fourth run of the game. Trailing 4-1, the Bearcats pushed four across the plate in the top of the fourth, shooting ahead to 5-4 advantage.
Unable to do anything in the bottom half of the fourth, the Pioneers regrouped and scored six runs on six hits in the fifth to once again grab the lead. With the bases loaded Corey Davis singled to center to bring in Bradley Lezak who started the inning with a single up the middle. Another single with the bases loaded, this time by Gray, brought in Traver and Michael Kinkenon.
John Trupin came in to pinch hit for the next Pioneer at bat, collecting an RBI with yet another Pio single this time knocking in Davis. Wertz ended the scoring with his second double of the contest, bringing in the final two runs of the inning.
Willamette earned a run back in the top of the sixth, with the lead off batter coming around on a fielder's choice. The Bearcats made it a 10-8 game in the seventh with two more runs coming in on a two-run homerun by Tosh Semlacher.
Heading into the top of the ninth, the Pioneers needed just three outs to collect the win, leading 10-8. That all ended with Semlacher hit another two-run homerun, tying the contest. The Bearcats followed up the two-run homerun with a solo shot with the very next at bat.
Trailing 11-10, the Pioneers managed to squeeze a run across the plate on a single by Liam Healey. The Healy single allowed Traver to score after starting things with a walk.
Both teams had chances to put the game away in the 10th but were unsuccessful in getting anyone across the plate.
A rocky top of the 11th by the Pioneers allowed for four runs on just one hit by the Bearcats. Facing a 15-11 deficit, the Pios did what they could to try to win the game or at least continue it with three solid hits. A double to left center by Gray allowed Traver to pull the team one run closer. With two outs and the bases loaded, Lezak doubled to right center, bringing two more runs, but that would be as close as the Pios would get.
