Bearcats Take Two Games from Pacific, 5-0 and 6-3

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

FOREST GROVE, ORE. -- Willamette University received two strong pitching performances to sweep a Northwest Conference doubleheader at Pacific University on Saturday, April 2. Willamette won the first game 5-0 and took the second game, 6-3.

The wins allowed the Bearcats to improve to 11-12 overall, 6-8 in the NWC. Pacific ended the day at 14-10-1 overall, 8-6 in the NWC.

The teams will conclude the three-game series with a single game on Sunday, April 3. Game time at Chuck Bafaro Stadium in Forest Grove, Ore., is set for 1 p.m. (PDT).

In the first game, Willamette pitcher Brandon Simon (So., RHP, Los Angeles, CA/Pacific Hills HS) threw a complete-game three-hitter to get the shutout win. He struck out three batters and allowed one walk. T.C. Lee (Sr., LF, Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS) went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a run and two RBIs for the Bearcats.

In the second game, WU starter Blake Paisley (Jr., RHP, Saratoga, CA/Saratoga HS) pitched seven innings and allowed just four hits and one run. He achieved three strikeouts and walked one batter. Lee was 2 for 5 in the second game with a double and one run scored. Tommy Kawamura (Fr., 2B, Renton, WA/Lindbergh HS) was 3 for 4 for Willamette with three RBIs.

Willamette struck early for a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener.

With two outs, Doug Bloom (Sr., SS, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) walked to keep the inning alive. Lee batted next and doubled down the left field line, advancing Bloom all the way to the plate. Max Stepan (Sr., C/DH, Pueblo, CO/Pueblo County HS) followed with a ground ball toward third, but the throw was wild and Lee went to third. Pacific starter Rob Dittrick got a strikeout to end the threat.

The Bearcats added three insurance runs in the fifth. Adam Reid (Jr., RF, San Jose, CA/Lynbrook HS) smacked a double to right field with one out and Bloom followed with a walk. Lee also doubled, allowing Reid to score. Stepan lined out to second base, but Tosh Semlacher (Fr., DH/3B, Gold River, CA/Jesuit HS) supplied a two-RBI single to center field.

Tim Schilf (Jr., 3B, Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) of Willamette doubled near the left field foul line in the top of the eighth. He reached third on a single by Kawamura and scored the game's final run when Tyson Giza (So., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) grounded into a fielder's choice. After Schilf scored, Kawamura and Giza were both tagged out between the bases.

WU's five runs were more than enough for Simon, who continued his solid string of appearances. So far in 2011, he has started six games and has thrown 45 innings with a total of 28 strikeouts. He is 4-2 with a 1.20 earned run average.

Dittrick of Pacific suffered his second loss of the season, as he fell to 6-2. He allowed 11 hits and all five runs in eight innings on the mound. He had eight strikeouts. He had just two walks, but both were issued to Bloom, who scored later in the inning each time.

Lee and Reid each went 3 for 5 in the opener, while Kawamura was 2 for 4. Seven Bearcats achieved at least one hit during the game. Center fielder Kevin Schwartz was 2 for 3 for the Boxers.

The Bearcats broke open a scoreless second game with three runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth.

Lee hit a single and Stepan walked with one out in the fourth. Both runners advanced on a balk, and then Semlacher connected for a two-RBI single. Kawamura singled later in the inning to score Semlacher for a 3-0 lead.

Stepan tripled to right center to start the sixth inning. Semlacher brought in Stepan with a single to center. Brandon Chinn (Fr., 1B, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) reached base on an error and Schilf moved up the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Kawamura drove in Semlacher and Chinn with a single.

The Boxers scored their first run of the twinbill in the seventh inning of the second game when Mike Nagamura hit a single to left and Nate Rasmussen doubled to right center.

In the eighth, Pacific cut WU's advantage to 6-3 by plating two runs.

Logan Moen singled to open the stanza and eventually scored on a single by Jared Van Hoon. Kevin Schwartz also scored during the inning on a double down the the line by Rasmussen.

Ryan Smith (Jr., RHP, Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS/U. of Redlands) went to the mound for WU with two outs and two runners on base. He walked Chad Fahey, but used a ground out by Trux French to end the inning. Smith faced four batters in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second save.

Kawamura's three hits and three RBIs paced the Bearcats. Semlacher also recorded three RBIs while going 2 for 4 and scoring twice. Other WU players with two hits in the game were Giza, 2 for 5, and Lee, 2 for 5. For Pacific, Moen was 3 for 4 with a run scored and Rasmussen went 2 for 4 with a two RBIs.