PASCO, Wash. – Graduate student
Jacob Serafini hit his second career home run and drove in four runs, while senior
Jack Thomson sent two over the right field fence to lead Lewis & Clark College baseball to a doubleheader split against Whitworth University in a Northwest Conference road doubleheader that was moved to southeastern Washington due to the winter weather in Spokane.
THE BASICS
Whitworth 7, Lewis & Clark 5
Lewis & Clark 12, Whitworth 3
(Lewis & Clark 11-3, 3-2 NWC)
( Whitworth 4-9, 1-1 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Whitworth won a back-and-forth game one and scored in the first two innings of the second game, sophomore
Luke Ritter and seniors
Kevin Kane and
Kris Wuelfing held the Pirates to seven scoreless innings.
Serafini, Thomson, and sophomore
Will Heron combined for eight of the Pioneers' 13 RBI to lead the hot-hitting offense.
GAME ONE RECAP
Lewis & Clark's Thomson hit his first homer of the day over the right field fence in the first inning, but Whitworth responded with two runs of their own for a 2-1 lead.
The Pirates scored again in the fifth off an Austin Paul single that drove in two.
The Pioneers responded as junior
Luke Bass hit an RBI single down the right-field line in the sixth. Serafini tied the game 4-4 in the seventh when he hit his second collegiate home run, a two-run bomb to left-center.
Lewis & Clark tied the game at 5 in the eighth off a fielding error by the Whitworth second baseman, but Whitworth answered again in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Pirates started game two the way they ended the first, with an RBI single in the first and a two-run double in the second, both hits down the right-field line.
Serafini started a Pioneer scoring barrage when he hit a two-run double down the right-field line in the third. The Pirates loaded the bases with an intentional walk of Thomson. Two batters later, Bass earned an RBI when he was walked. Heron singled to shortstop to score Serafini. Senior
Mason Lee reached first on a fielder's choice that plated Thomson. Bass scored the sixth and final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Sophomore
Brennen Davis opened the fifth inning with a triple to right-center, then scored on a wild pitch at the next at-bat. Later in the inning, Bass stole home on a double-steal, and freshman
Joaquin Sandoval hit an RBI single to give the Pios a 10-3 lead.
Thomson hit a solo home run to start the sixth inning. Heron added a sac fly to score Bass for his second RBI of the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Pioneers' 11 wins to start the season have all come on the road; they have yet to play at home.
- Through 15 games, Lewis & Clark has outscored their opponents 152-91.
- The offense has hit 18 more home runs (29-11) than opposing teams.
- Ritter is 2-0 to start the season with a 2.38 ERA.
- Junior Jakob Ghammachi, Bass, and Heron each had a stolen base in game two.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark and Whitworth will play the deciding game of the series on Sunday at Noon.