Baseball drops two in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. — Willamette University (4-14, 2-6 NWC) faced Pacific Lutheran University (8-8, 6-5 NWC) in a doubleheader on Saturday at PLU Field, resulting in two losses for the Bearcats, with scores of 5-2 and 9-5.

In the first game, Willamette took an early lead in the second inning with two runs. Carter Stoltz's walk and Adam Birt's single set the stage, with Stoltz scoring on a fielding error by the second baseman. Cam Hammer then delivered an RBI single to bring home Birt. However, Pacific Lutheran surged ahead with a pivotal three-run seventh inning, highlighted by Kaleb McNeely's home run, and added two more in the eighth. Despite Willamette's five hits and four walks, they could not regain the advantage. Shayde Koga attempted to rally in the ninth with a leadoff walk, but a double play extinguished the hopes of a comeback.

Carter Stoltz contributed with a hit, a run, and a walk, finishing with an OPS of .833. Cam Hammer recorded an RBI and a hit, while Steven Verespey pitched 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven but allowing four earned runs, resulting in his season record dropping to 1-3. Matthew Mason relieved Verespey for 1/3 of an inning, surrendering one run on two hits. For Pacific Lutheran, Matthew Sherwood earned the win with a 7-inning outing yielding four hits and no earned runs, striking out nine. Chris Moreno closed the game with a 2-inning save.

In the second game, the Bearcats struggled once again as Pacific Lutheran established an early lead with a four-run first inning, featuring a three-run homer and an RBI single. Willamette found some momentum in the third inning with Carter Stoltz's RBI triple but could not overcome the early deficit. The Bearcats rallied in the fifth inning when Stoltz and Trevor Sostman reached base, allowing Jason Smith to deliver a crucial two-RBI single, and Birt scored on a wild pitch. However, Willamette's offense left runners stranded, and despite Birt's RBI triple in the seventh, they fell short.

Nate Hamburger contributed with a double and a walk, scoring one run. Stoltz scored twice and added a hit and a walk, while Birt recorded two hits, including a triple, and drove in a run. Smith delivered two RBIs on one hit. Elliot Hsu pitched 3 innings for Willamette, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits, and was charged with the loss. Brandon Goodell also pitched for 3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, while Luca Penteriani delivered a scoreless 2 innings with just 1 hit allowed. For Pacific Lutheran, Osei Kimura was pivotal, pitching 2 2/3 innings and conceding 3 runs on 3 hits.

After the doubleheader, the Bearcats' record stands at 4-14 overall and 2-6 in the NWC, while Pacific Lutheran improves to 8-8 overall and 6-5 in the NWC.