Box Score McMINVILLE, Ore.—Despite four scoreless innings of relief from Kris Wuelfing, Lewis & Clark baseball fell 5-2 to visiting Whitworth University on Senior Day at Roy Helser Field.
Prior to the contest, Lewis & Clark honored their three seniors, Jacob Serafini, Zack Kon and Riley Guieb, at the Huston Sports Complex.
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KEY MOMENTS: WHITWORTH 5-2
Whitworth scored the first four runs after a three-hour weather delay and location change, and held on to end the Pioneers hunt for a spot in the Northwest Conference Tournament. The Pioneers still have one game remaining, at the University of Puget Sound, to try to finish with a .500 record in NWC play (12-12).
The two teams got through two batters, before the skies opened and a combination of snow, hail and rain poured down at the Huston Sports Complex. After an additional pause for lightning strikes in the area, the game was moved to Linfield University's Roy Hesler Field.
With the Pioneers trailing 5-1 after five, Wuelfing threw a season-high four innings and scattered two hits and one walk. The junior righty struck out three and kept the Pioneers hopes of a comeback alive with his strong outing.
Freshman righty Casey Parsons took the loss after allowing eight hits and five earned runs over five innings of work.
Offensively, Brennen Davis and Luke Bass each finished with a team-high two hits. Jack Savant and Kon added a single and a walk and Will Heron worked a pair of walks.
After putting five baserunners on in the first two innings, Whitworth broke the game open in the third. With one out and a runner on second, Dawson Warner singled to center and the Pioneers misplayed the ball to allow Jarred Yara to score. Two batters later, JJ Fahnlander hit a three-run home run that barely cleared the fence in left-center field to make it 4-0.
The Pioneers cut the deficit to three in the fourth. Bass and Kon singled and Heron walked with one out to load the bases. Bass raced home on a wild pitch to put the Pioneers on the scoreboard, but Hunter Dryden struck out each of the next two batters to minimize the damage.
With the Pioneers trailing 5-1 in the sixth, the Pioneers again loaded the bases, this time on three walks. Justin Cavagnaro scampered home on a wild pitch to make it 5-2 but reliever Dylan Owen posted a strikeout and a groundout to leave two runners in scoring position.
Lewis & Clark would put two runners on in the seventh and ninth innings but couldn't come through with a run-scoring hit.
DEEPER LOOK
- With their six strikeouts on Saturday, the Pioneers pitching staff (255) just one strikeout shy of tying the program record for strikeouts in a single-season: 256 by the 1990 team.
- Wuelfing's four-inning outing was the second-longest of his career. He threw 5.1 innings of relief against George Fox University as a sophomore.
- Bass extended his hitting streak to five games in a row (7-10). He has sit safely in 13 of his last 15 appearances.
WHO'S NEXT
The Pioneers will close out the regular season at the University of Puget Sound this week. Time and date to be announced.
