WALLA WALLA, Wash. – After a rain delay pushed back Game 3 of their Northwest Conference series, Lewis & Clark College baseball rode strong pitching and timely power hitting to a 2-0 victory over Whitman College on Monday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
 
THE BASICS
 
Lewis & Clark 2
Whitman 0
(Lewis & Clark 7-8, 3-6 NWC)
(Whitman 11-7, 3-3 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Senior pitcher Luke Ritter delivered his best outing of the season, throwing six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two for his second win of the year. Junior Nate Kerr earned his first save with three perfect innings of relief, striking out one. The duo combined for the Pioneers' first shutout in more than four years, last accomplished in an 11-0 win over Linfield University on March 21, 2021.

The game remained scoreless through five innings, with both starting pitchers in control. Whitman's Ryan Petersen matched Ritter early, holding the Pioneers to one hit through five frames.

Senior Justin Cavagnaro led Lewis & Clark with a 2-for-4 day, breaking the scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a solo home run to left field—providing all the offense the Pioneers would need.

Sophomores Michael Aikawa (1-for-4) and Bret Potter (1-for-3) each recorded a hit. Aikawa hit the team's second homer of the game, while Potter tripled and reached base in all of his plate appearances.

Lewis & Clark threatened in the second inning when Cavagnaro singled and advanced to third after senior Brennen Davis walked and Potter reached on an error, but Petersen escaped the jam unscathed.

Potter delivered the Pioneers' second hit with a one-out triple to center in the fifth but was stranded 90 feet from home.

The deadlock was broken in the sixth when Cavagnaro launched a solo shot to left, giving Lewis & Clark a 1-0 lead.

Ritter finished his six-inning outing and handed the ball to Kerr, who retired all nine batters he faced to preserve the lead.

Aikawa added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run to left field off Whitman reliever Connor Moland-Ko, extending the lead to 2-0.

Kerr closed the bottom of the ninth with three quick outs to seal the shutout.

Whitman's lone hit came in the third inning—a single by Noah Korahais—as the Pioneers' pitching staff dominated throughout the contest.
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Lewis & Clark also held an opponent to one hit on March 15 last season when Brett Pierson struck out 13 in a 12-1 win over Vassar.
• Aikawa (25), Cavagnaro (24) and Potter (19) lead the team in hits this season. With their second home runs against the Blues, Cavagnaro (19 RBI) and Aikawa (14) remain first and third on the team in RBI, respectively.
• Ritter recorded his longest outing since pitching six innings against UMass-Boston on March 9, 2024.

WHO'S NEXT

The Pioneers travel to Eugene for a non-conference game at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Bushnell.