Arakaki's Five Hits Not Enough As Boxers Drop Twinbill
Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
TACOMA, Wash. –
Michael Arakaki (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) pounded out five hits for Pacific Saturday, but the effort was not enough as the Boxers came up just short in a pair of pitcher's duels Saturday as Puget Sound took both ends of a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader at Logger Field.
Arakaki came through with a great afternoon at the plate, finishing the day going 5 for 7. He accounted for over a third of the Boxers' 14 hits on the day.
Pacific's
Rob Dittrick (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) threw a complete game six-hitter in the opener, but Pacific left 10 men on base as three Loggers' hurlers combined for a 2-0 shutout. The Boxers managed to take a 3-2 lead in the nightcap thanks to a
Walker Olis (Fr., Burlington, Wash.) double, but Puget Sound scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to come back for a 4-3 victory.
Puget Sound improved to 15-19, 9-11 NWC with the two wins. Pacific dropped to 12-21, 9-11 NWC and slipped from third to sixth in the conference standings.
GAME 1 – PUGET SOUND 2, PACIFIC 0
Dittrick opened the game retiring the first six batters before Addison Melzer singled to open the third. He advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a sacrifice bunt before scored him on a sacrifice fly.
The Boxers had runners on second base in both the fifth and sixth innings and placed a runner on third in the seventh, but could not bring anyone home. The Loggers, meanwhile, picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when Kaulana Smith led off with a single to left and scored on Nick Funyak's single to center field.
Matt Robinson earned the win for Puget Sound to improve to 6-5 on the season, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five in seven innings. Lucas Stone earned his fourth save of the season. Dittrick dropped to 3-4 with another hard luck loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts. Arakaki went 2 for 3 to lead the Boxers. Melzer went 2 for 3 to pace the Loggers.
GAME 2 – PUGET SOUND 4, PACIFIC 3
The Loggers put together a two out rally to open scoring in the bottom of the first. Lucas Stone reached base on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Smith's single to right.
Pacific got the run back in the second. Arakaki led off the frame with a single to center field, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored from second on
Anson Arakaki's (Sr., Hilo, Hawaii) groundout thanks to a quick jump on the pitch. The Loggers took the 2-1 lead in the third as Connor Savage hit a one-out single to left center field, advanced to third on Nathan Backes' double and scored on a ground out.
Charlie Gaff (Fr., Stockton, Calif.) led off Pacific's two-run seventh with a walk and scored two batters later on Olis' double to right center field.
Logan Moen (Sr., Brier, Wash.) followed with a single to move Olis to third and he scored on an error that occurred as Moen stole second base.
Puget Sound turned a Pacific error into the tying run in the seventh. Eric Lund reached on the error with one out, stole second and scored on Jeff Walton's double to center field. Stone, who was called upon to pitch again in the seventh, helped his own cause offensively in the eighth when he led off with a single and scored on a passed ball.
Stone earned the win to improve to 4-2 on the season, allowing one hit and striking out three in 2.2 innings of relief.
Kyle Treadway (So., Phoenix, Ore.) took the loss in relief for the Boxers, allowing one unearned run on one hit in 1.1 innings of work. Pacific starter
Nick Morton (Fr., Burbank, Calif.) allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and struck out four in 6.2 innings. Arakaki once again led the Boxers with a 3 for 4 effort while Savage and Backes each had two hits to lead the Loggers.
The two teams will finish their three game series on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon.
