Willamette and Pacific Split Doubleheader to End Season

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

FOREST GROVE, ORE. -- Senior pitcher Tye Sundlee (Yakima, WA/West Valley HS) tossed a complete-game four-hitter and Kyle Stalker (Jr., 1B, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS) belted a two-run homer -- his 22nd of the season -- as Willamette University downed Pacific University, 5-2, in the first game of a doubleheader, Sunday, April 27 at Chuck Bafaro Stadium. Pacific rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second game by scoring nine runs in the fourth inning and five runs in the sixth to take a 14-4 win.

Both teams concluded the season at 20-20 overall. Pacific finished 17-15 (4th place) in the Northwest Conference, while Willamette ended the season at 16-15 (5th place) in the NWC.

Sundlee limited Pacific to two doubles and two singles. He registered four strikeouts and allowed two walks. He improved to 2-6 on the season.

Willamette scored three times in the top of the second inning to provide Sundlee with an early lead. Sean Anderson (Sr., CF, Klamath Falls, OR/Klamath Union HS) singled to start the attack. One out later, Jack McGee (Jr., 3B/P, Hillsborough, CA/St. Ignatius HS) hit an RBI single. Max Stepan (Fr., C, Pueblo, CO/Pueblo County HS) followed with a two-run homer to right center. It was Stepan's seventh homer of the season.

Pacific created an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. Kaeo Lau Hee reached first and second on a throwing error by McGee. He moved the final two bases when the Boxers hit into back-to-back ground outs. Another ground out ended the inning.

The Bearcats continued to maintain a 3-1 lead until Stalker's home run in the sixth inning brought in two more tallies for a four-run cushion. Doug Bloom (Fr., SS, Salem, OR/South Salem HS), who singled to open the stanza, also scored on the play.

Stalker's 22 home runs this season broke the previous WU record by nine. He also holds Willamette's career record with 36 home runs.

Lau Hee hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning to produce Pacific's final run. Lau Hee was one of four Boxers to record a hit during the game.

Stepan was 2 of 3 for Willamette and finished the game as the only player for either team with more than one hit. The Bearcats had six hits overall.

Willamette pushed across one run in the second inning of the second game. Anderson hit a single, went to second when Colin Young (Sr., RF, Portland, OR/Lincoln HS) was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by McGee and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dan Maslanik. WU increased the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, when McGee hit a sacrifice fly and Maslanik contributed an RBI single.

Pacific surged into the lead with nine runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth. Seven of the runs scored with two outs in the inning. Nick McNeely, Andrew Curtin and Matt Hendryx each blasted a double during the rally. Curtin and McNeely each drove in two runs, as did Jordan Nakayama, who hit a single.

T.C. Lee (Fr., LF, Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS) powered out his 10th home run of the season for Willamette in the sixth inning. He sent the ball over the fence in left center.

The Boxers plated five runs in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 14-4. Johnston connected for an RBI double and Pulito added a two-RBI double during the stanza.

Pacific claimed a 12-5 edge in hits. Hendryx was 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs. McNeely went 2 for 4, scored twice and drove in two runs. Lau Hee went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.

Willamette's five hits were earned by five different players. Anderson was 1 for 2 with two runs scored, as he finished at the top of WU's offensive chart this season with a .388 batting average.

Blaine Knuth threw the first six innings of Game #2 to record the win for Pacific and improve to 4-5. Brandon Larson (2-4) took the loss for the Boxers in the opener. Jarrid Summers (Jr., RHP, Boise, ID/Boise HS) was the losing pitcher for Willamette in the second game, as he fell to 4-4 on the season.