Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. –
Nate Rasmussen (Jr., Sandy, Utah) came within one of tying Pacific's single season record for doubles Wednesday, helping buoy a late Pacific rally in an 8-5 loss to Concordia (Ore.) in baseball action at the University of Portland's Joe Etzel Field.
Rasmussen hit his 17th double of the season in the Boxers' two-run eighth inning, sending the ball down the left field line. He stands one short of the mark of 18 set by former teammate
Kaeo Lau Hee during the 2010 season.
The rally was short lived as the Boxers (21-13-2) managed seven hits off of four different Concordia pitchers. Four of Pacific's runs came in the final three innings while Concordia limited Pacific to one hit over the first six frames. Rasmussen was one of seventh Pacific players to have hits, while Tim Reavis hit three doubles to go 3 for 4 for the Cavaliers (13-29).
Concordia scored its first run in the bottom of the second inning, as Jared Young doubled to right field and scored on Matt Zappoli's single through the left side. Pacific tied it up with a run in the top of the fourth.
Kevin Schwartz (Jr., Milwaukie, Ore.) led off with an infield single and Rasmussen walked to put runners at first and second. A double steal put two in scoring position, with
Mike Nagamine's (Jr., Aiea, Hawaii) groundout to second bringing in a run to make it 1-1.
The Cavaliers took control with a total of seven runs in the middle innings. Tommy Whalen walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth, and Mike Cero singled through the left side. Tim Reavis doubled to left center to give CU the 2-1 lead, and Zappoli followed with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-1.
Odie Hollingshed was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a passed ball. He reached third on a fly ball to left field and scored on Sean Myrom's sacrifice fly to left, giving CU a 4-1 lead.
Five hits in the sixth inning gave Concordia four more runs as the Cavaliers opened an 8-1 advantage. Cero led off with a double and scored on Young's single up the middle. Reavis doubled down the left field line, and Danny Brown singled to left to bring home two more runs after Zappoli was hit by a pitch. Cameron Baker singled to right to load the bases, and Curt Cosby drove home CU's eighth run with a sacrifice fly to right.
Pacific made it interesting late, as the Boxers slowly fought their way back into the game. In the seventh,
Michael Arakaki (So., Mililani, Hawaii) singled and scored on
Travis Koon's (Fr., Salem, Ore.) double to left field to make it 8-2. The Boxers added two more in the top of the eighth.
Sam Kaplan walked and advanced to third on Rasmussen's double down the left field line. Nagamine's single through the left side made it 8-3, and Rasmussen scored on a passed ball to pull Pacific to within four.
After two quick outs to start the ninth,
Jared Van Hoon (Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) doubled down the left field line and scored on Kaplan's single to left. With a runner at first and a three-run lead, Kohler picked up the final out of the game to earn the save.
Mitch Ludtke earned the win for Concordia, improving to 3-4 on the season by allowing one run on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.
Jason Sawyer (Fr., Scappoose, Ore.) took the loss in his first relief appearance of the season, replacing starter
Dustin Christensen (Fr., Riverton, Utah) in the second. Sawyer allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. He fell to 3-5 on the season.
The Boxers will conclude the 2011 season this weekend, playing a three-game series at Puget Sound. The teams will play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. before finishing with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.
