LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Pacific University baseball team traveled to California to play their season-opening series against Occidental College and picked up the 10-6 win in game one of the doubleheader before dropping the second contest 8-6.
The Boxers (1-1) racked up 23 hits over the two games, smashing three home runs in the small confines of Anderson Field.
Will Clark (Junior/Boise, ID) enjoyed a very good outing to start the season, going 6.1 innings and posting a career-high 13 strikeouts. The junior allowed three runs on two hits, both of them home runs.
Damon Tanner (Sophomore/El Dorado Hills, CA) collected three hits in the Boxers' first win of the season, including a huge two-run single in the eighth inning to break the game open.
Ryan Krout (Senior/Washougal, WA) mashed a three-bomb as part of his three-hit day, scoring five runs over the two games.
In game two,
Patrick Muskat (Redshirt Freshman/Beaverton, OR) recorded a three-hit game with an RBI and run scored.
Andrew Thomas (Senior/Escondido, CA) and
CJ Coyler (Sophomore/Gilroy, CA) each belted their first home runs of the 2022 campaign.
Tyler Quinn (Junior/Mililani, HI) and
Ty Yukumoto (Freshman/Waipahu, HI) each slapped three hits on the day.
Occidental (1-1) hit four home runs in the first game of the day, using the long ball to their advantage in their home ballpark.
Game 1
In Pacific's first plate appearance of the 2022 season, Quinn laced a solid single to left center to get things started. The Boxers were unable to capitalize after getting the leadoff runner aboard and handed the ball to Clark in the bottom half of the frame.
Clark got the nod for the season opener and he cruised through the first inning by setting the Tigers down in order, but the hosts would take lead in the bottom half of the second with a two-run shot from Ari Solomon.
The Boxers would reply in the third inning when
Brad Altomare (Senior/San Ramon, CA) doubled in the right-center gap and Quinn would reach base again with a hit-by-pitch to set the table. Krout stepped to the plate with two outs and blasted a three-run bomb over the wall in centerfield to give Pacific a 3-2 advantage.
After Clark tossed a perfect third inning, Pacific would extend their lead by bringing three runs across in the top of the fourth. Thomas led off with a walk before Yukumoto slapped a double in the gap for his first career hit. Tanner followed with an RBI single, his second hit of the day, to score Thomas and keep the line moving.
Jordan Hara (Senior/Aiea, HI) singled through the left side to plate Tanner and Altomare kept the rally alive with a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-2 ballgame.
Clark continued to mow down the opposing hitters by striking out eight of the next nine hitters he faced.
The Tigers would use another big fly in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 6-3. After Clark fanned one more hitter, Head Coach
Brian Billings would hand the ball to
Davis Koester (Sophomore/Trout Lake, WA). With two outs in the inning, a two-run homer from Occidental's Ryan Cacatian would cut the lead to just one run.
In the top half of the eighth, Tanner would come up to the plate with the bases loaded and came through with a massive two-RBI single to score Thomas and Krout. This gave Pacific an 8-5 lead.
Liam Cammall (Senior/San Diego, CA) would be the next hurler to toe the rubber, taking over in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Dawson Tokishi (Sophomore/Kahului, HI), filling in the centerfield position, made a spectacular diving catch to get the Boxers to the ninth inning.
Isaac Lovings (Senior/Beaverton, OR) gave Pacific some much-needed insurance runs in the top of the ninth by ripping a double in the left center gap to bring Quinn and Krout across, making the score 10-5.
The Tigers would tack on one more run in the ninth via the big fly but Pacific would hang on to come out victorious in the season opener.
Game 2
The Boxers got off to a rocky start in the second half of the doubleheader, allowing four runs in the second inning.
Kahi Bisho (Senior/Honolulu, HI) was on the mound to start game two and walked the first two batters he faced. Using a couple infield singles and a sacrifice fly, the hosts would jump out to a 4-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Pacific would even the score with some timely hits from the middle of the order. Krout and Muskat led off the inning with a pair of singles before Thomas delivered with a three-run shot to give his team some momentum.
Max Nealon (Senior/Redmond, WA), getting the start at shortstop, reached base with an infield hit and brought Tanner to home plate to even the score at 4-4.
Occidental regained the lead in the home half, but the Boxers would quickly respond to tie things up yet again. Muskat racked up his third hit of the day to score Krout.
Coyler smashed his first home run of the season in the hitter's friendly ball park to give his team their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth.
Chance Wallace (Freshman/Portland, OR) took the mound after Bisho departed in the second inning. In the freshman's first collegiate appearance, he would throw 3.2 innings, allowing two runs with six strikeouts.
Tyler Agnew (Junior/Folsom, CA) would take over in the bottom of the sixth after Wallace's solid outing. The Tigers managed to tie the score but Agnew did very well to limit the damage in a bases-loaded situation by punching out two hitters to end the inning.
Occidental would tack on two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead in the back-and-forth contest.
Sage Dunaway (Junior/Sherwood, OR) would come on to relieve Agnew before
Joey Harmon (Sophomore/Scottsdale, AZ) would pitch the final frame.
The Boxers were unable score in the last three innings and the Tigers would earn the 8-6 victory to split the doubleheader.
Up Next
The Boxers wrap up the three-game series with the Tigers tomorrow at 11 a.m.
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