Baseball Game in Walla Walla is Moved to Monday at Noon

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Northwest Conference game between Willamette University and Whitman College scheduled for Sunday, March 24 has been postponed due to rain at Borleske Field. The game will now be played on Monday, March 25 at 12 p.m. (PDT).

Willamette and Whitman split a doubleheader on Saturday. The Bearcats won the first game 9-7 behind home runs from Connor Bailey (Sr., CF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) and Sean Little (So., RF, Corvallis, OR/Crescent Valley HS).

Matt Steindorf (Sr., RHP, Granite Bay, CA/Granite Bay HS) pitched the first seven innings to improve to 5-1, while moving into a tie with Matt Kosderka (1995-98) for Willamette's record with 30 career victories. Stiendorf struck out five batters and gave up one walk, while allowing five runs -- three earned.

The Blues triumphed in the second game, 4-2. Whitman's starting pitcher, Eric Ma, advanced his record to 4-0 after tossing seven scoreless innings. He struck out six batters, while allowing four hits and four walks. Justin Scanlon (Jr., 2B/DH, San Jose, CA/Leigh HS/West Valley College) was 2 for 4 at the plate for Willamette, while Bailey hit a double.

Bailey is the Bearcats' top hitter with a .370 batting average, seven doubles, one triple and six home runs. He owns a .704 slugging percentage and a .469 on-base percentage. He has scored 25 runs and earned 18 RBIs. Tyler Janitz (Sr., SS, Modesto, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS) is hitting .357 with 14 runs and 11 RBIs.

Cole Pursell (Sr./Jr., C, Oceanside, CA/El Camino HS) is batting .323 and has provided WU with 14 runs and 16 RBIs. Scanlon has contributed a .314 batting average with 15 runs and 16 RBIs. Since starting the season 3 for 26 at the plate in his first seven games, Scanlon has connected for 19 hits in his last 44 at bats during the last 11 games for a .432 average. Pursell has pounded out eight doubles, while Scanlon has hit seven doubles.