Loggers Cut Down Boxers In Pair Of Heartbreakers
Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box ScoreFOREST GROVE – Puget Sound relied on solid starting pitching in the opener and impressive hitting in the nightcap to take a pair of games from Pacific Friday in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
Loggers' starter Steve Wagar threw a complete game four hitter in the opener as Puget Sound made a three-run fourth inning stand up in a 4-0 shutout. The Loggers then used a six-run eighth inning to erase a five-run Pacific lead in the nightcap to go on to the 9-7 victory.
Nathan Suyematsu (So., Tualatin, Ore.) was one of two Pacific players to have hits in both games, finishing with three hits and three runs in the twinbill. Connor Savage finished with six hits, three in each game, to pace Puget Sound.
With the losses, Pacific dropped to 11-20, 4-16 NWC. Puget Sound improved to 12-17, 10-10 NWC.
GAME 1: PUGET SOUND 4, PACIFIC 0Wagar was in command from start to finish in the opener, allowing just four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. He allowed just one hit over the first five innings and did not allow a walk until the seventh. Only two Pacific runners reached second base.
The Puget Sound offense, meanwhile, used an error to propel a three-run fourth that proved to be all of the offense the Loggers needed for the win. Nathan Backes reached base on a one-out error and scored on Christian Carter's triple to center field. Nick Funyak followed with a double to left center, scoring Carter, while JB Eary laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Funyak.
The Loggers added an insurance run in the seventh when Connor Savage led off with a single and scored on Jeff Walton's base hit to center field.
Pacific's best scoring chance came in the eighth.
Colin McCusker (So., Olympia, Wash.) hit a one-out single through the left side and advanced to second on
Grant Gabriel's (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) pinch-hit single, but Wagar put down the next two batters to end the threat.
Kyle Treadway (Jr., Phoenix, Ore.) took the loss in a strong effort. He allowed four runs, two earned, on 11 hits with one walk and three strikeouts in seven innings of work as he dropped to 2-7 on the season. Savage led Puget Sound with three hits while the four Pacific hits were spread out among four different players.
GAME 2: PUGET SOUND 9, PACIFIC 7Through the first seven innings, it looked as though Pacific would have what it took to take a split of the two games. Suyematsu doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and put the Boxers on the board on
Walker Olis' (So., Burlington, Wash.) sacrifice fly.
Ben Duerr (So., Lebanon, Ore.) added a run in the third, leading off with a single and scoring on
Nick Garrett's (So., San Diego, Calif.) single.
Suyematsu made it a 3-0 game in the fifth when he reached on an error with two outs and scored on Olis' single to center field. The Loggers came back to score their first run in the fifth when Nickolas Alarcio reached on an error and scored on Walton's sacrifice fly.
Pacific added a pair of unearned runs in the sixth.
Mike Thomson (So., Yorba Linda, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Suyematsu reached on an error. Both scored on a well-placed suicide squeeze bunt by
Donnie Bradley (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.). After the Loggers tallied one in the top of the seventh, Pacific added two more in the home half. The first three Pacific batters reached based before Duerr scored on Thomson's fielder's choice. Garrett then scored on
Matt Hopp's (Jr., Portland, Ore.) single to give the Boxers a 7-2 lead.
Things fell apart for the Boxers in the eighth as the Loggers came live for six runs on seven hits. Six of the first seven Puget Sound batters had hits. Chris Zerio opened scoring when his double down the left field line scored Carter and Alarcio. Walton then scored a pair with his single to left center field. Funyak then gave the Loggers the lead when his pinch-hit doubled scored Walton and Backes.
Puget Sound added an insurance run in the ninth as Savage singled with one out and scored on Zario's single to center field.
Levi Peterson (Jr., Denver, Colo.) took the loss in relief for Pacific, allowing the winning run on two hits while pitching in the eighth. The rally negated a fine outing for the starter, McCusker, who allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings. David Torigoe earned the win for Puget Sound, retiring the only batter he faced in the seventh. Kian Kurokawa picked up his sixth save of the season, throwing two scoreless frames.
Savage and Zerio each had three hits to lead the Loggers at the plate, while Suyematsu and Olis had two hits each to lead the Boxers.
The two teams will complete their three-game series on Saturday. First pitch has been moved up two hours to try and beat a rainy forecast and is now scheduled for 10 a.m.
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