Box Score McMinville, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College baseball scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to earn a comeback 9-8 non-conference win over host Linfield University on Wednesday night at Roy Helser Field.
Luke Bass hit a game-tying two-run double and Jakob Ghammachi beat out an infield single with two outs, to cap off the Pioneers tenth victory of the season.
Follow the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #PiosBB | #RollPios | #chamPIOns
KEY MOMENTS
With the Pioneers trailing 8-6 heading into the ninth inning, Lewis & Clark used a patient approach and two hits to take the lead. Mason Lee worked a one-out walk and Jack Savant and Jack Thomson were each hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, Bass greeted Gavin Ludlow with a two-run double to the warning track in right field.
Justin Cavagnaro followed with a walk to load the bases. Ludlow struck out the next batter on a close 3-2 pitch but Ghammachi would come through in the next at-bat. He hit a sharp grounder to the left of the third baseman, the Linfield third baseman dove and caught the ball, tried to tag Bass and then elected to throw to first only for Ghammachi to beat the throw.
In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Clerici worked around a one-out walk to pick up his third save of the season.
Savant and Bass paced the Pioneers with two hits apiece. Savant went 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI and Bass chipped in with a run and two RBI. Thomson scored two runs and Casey Parsons worked three walks.
Lewis & Clark used nine pitchers in a bullpen game. Noah Ferruggia, Tal Jones and Clerici each threw a scoreless inning of work. The Pioneers staff combined for six strikeouts in the victory.
With the game tied at 2-2 after three innings, Lewis & Clark scored three runs in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. Thomson opened the frame with a solo home run, Zack Kon drove in Bass with an RBI single and Kon scampered home on a wild pitch strike three.
Linfield scored five unanswered runs over their next three frames to take a 7-5 lead, only for Savant to get Lewis & Clark back within one with an RBI double in the seventh inning.
DEEPER LOOK
- The Pioneers have now won six-straight road games over Linfield University. Prior to their current streak, Lewis & Clark had never won more than two road games in a row against Linfield.
- With his solo home run, Thomson is now just one home run away from cracking the top-10 in program history for a single-season (nine).
- Lewis & Clark batters were hit four times in the contest. As a team, the Pioneers have been hit 31 times in 19 contests. The Pioneers came into Wednesday's game ranked 30th in Division III in hit by pitches.
- Clerici earned his third save of the season. He is now two saves shy of tying the program record for saves in a single-season set by Steve Dawson ('81), Nate Ulbricht ('92) and Austin Conniff ('19).
- With the victory, Lewis & Clark has posted more wins than they did in all of the 2020 or 2021 seasons and tied the 2019 team with 10 victories in 18 less games.
- Dylan Moore reached base three times. The senior walked twice and added a double and a run scored.
LOOKING AHEAD
Baseball will look to reach double-digit road wins on the year (9-6) when they travel to George Fox University Saturday for the first time games of a three-game conference set. The Pioneers will play the Bruins at Noon and 3pm on Saturday and Noon on Sunday.
