Sundlee Strikes Out Seven Batters in 13-4 win over CSU-East Bay to Start Doubleheader

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

(BASEBALL) HAYWARD, CALIF. -- Tye Sundlee (Jr., RHP, Yakima, WA/West Valley HS) struck out seven batters and allowed just six hits in 7 1/3 innings on the mound to lead Willamette University to a 13-4 victory over California State University-East Bay in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24. East Bay won the second game, 8-1, after building a 4-0 lead with four runs in the second inning.

Following the doubleheader split, Willamettes overall record moved to 3-5 on the season, while CSU-East Bay ended the day at 8-3. Willamette and East Bay are scheduled to complete the three-game series on Sunday, Feb. 25 with a single game at 12 p.m. (PST).

Sundlee, who started the first game of the doubleheader, improved to 2-0 on the season. He walked just one batter on his way to giving the Pioneers their first loss at home this year (5-1). In Sundlees first four appearances of 2007, he has registered 17 strikeouts with only five walks in 22 inning pitched.

Kyle Stalker (DH, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) hit a pair of three-run homers in the opener. His first home run drove in the first runs of the game and his second home run, produced in the eighth inning, completed the scoring for Willamette. Stalker, who later added a solo homer in the second game, now has five home runs on the season. He was 3 for 8 during the double-header against CSU-East Bay, including 2 for 4 with two runs and six RBIs in the first game.

The opener also included a 3-for-4 performance from Willamettes Matt Rasmussen (Sr., SS, Sandy, UT/Bingham HS), who scored twice and earned one RBI. He also hit a double for his fifth two-bagger of the season.

Tim Mitchell (So., RHP, Bozeman, MT/Bozeman HS) threw the final two-thirds of the eighth inning for Willamette and gave up one run on a solo homer. Jimmy Meuel (So., RHP, Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto HS) completed the game by throwing all three outs in the ninth inning.

In the second game, the Pioneers led 6-0 after the third inning. The Bearcats tallied their only run of the game on Stalkers solo homer in the fourth inning. Starter Clint Moran (Jr., LHP, Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley HS) suffered the loss for Willamette and fell to 0-3 on the season. Reliever Matt Biccoca (Jr., RHP, San Andreas, CA/Calaveras HS) pitched during the sixth and seventh innings and retired the first three batters he faced in each stanza.