Win Streak Comes To End As Boxers Platoon Against Willamette
Box Score
SALEM, Ore. – Pacific pitching kept things close over the first six innings, but the Boxers saw their 10-game win streak come to an end in a “don't know the players without a program” game Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to Willamette in a non-conference baseball game at John Lewis Field.
The Boxers, ranked No. 27 in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III Poll, played the contest without five of their regular starters due to class conflicts. Only
Donnie Bradley (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.),
Chad Fahey (Sr., Keizer, Ore.) and
Nick Tasaka (Jr., Hawaii Kai, Hawaii) started the game while two others joined the game later on. A total of 18 players saw action for the Boxers.
Despite Pacific's radically different lineup against most of Willamette's regular position starters, the game played out quite close over the first six innings. The Bearcats scratched out just four hits over against starter
Tyler Kotchik (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.) in the first three innings and did not get a hit off reliever
Rylan Tomita (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii) in the next three.
What runs Willamette did get early were manufactured in the second and third. Tosh Semlacher opened the second with a single through the left side, stole second and scored on Dylan Summers' double down the right field line. Tommy Kawamura added a run in the third when he walked to open the frame, advanced to third on Tyson Giza's single and scored on Tiras Koon's sacrifice fly.
The Bearcats broke the game open in the seventh. Brandon Chinn reached on an error with one out and scored when Andrew Wilson followed with his single down the right field line. Kawamura followed with a single to set up Giza for a three-run homer to right field.
Pacific had plenty of chances to score, leaving 11 runners on base in the contest. The Boxers took advantage of an error to load the bases with one out in the first, but Tasaka grounded into a fielder's choice and
Conor Clark (Jr., Tigard, Ore.) struck out to the end the frame.
The Boxers manufactured their one run in the eighth. Fahey led off with a double down the left field line and scored on
Jordan Siu's (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) ground out.
Kotchik (0-2) took the loss for the Boxers in a very solid outing, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Tomita was also effective in his three innings of relief, walking run and striking out three. Tyler Olson earned his second win of the season for the Bearcats, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Bradley and Fahey each had two hits to lead Pacific at the plate. Giza and Semlacher also had two hits each to lead Willamette.
Tuesday's game was originally scheduled to be played at Pacific, but was moved to Salem to help balance out the two Northwest Conference games moved from Salem to Forest Grove on Apr. 2. Pacific batted as the home team.
The Boxers head right back to Salem on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. non-conference contest against Corban at Volcanoes Stadium. Pacific returns to NWC play on Saturday when they open a three-game series at Whitworth.
