WHITTIER, Calif. – Senior Mark Rockey hit his record-tying
23rd career home run as the Puget Sound Loggers concluded a
four-game California road trip with an 11-7 win over the Whittier
Poets on Sunday afternoon in Whittier, Calif.
The Logger offense took care of business right away as Mark
Rockey (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./Univ. of New Mexico) singled to
left field to score Doug Cox (Kailua, Hawaii/Kalaheo) and then Chaz
Kramer (Boulder, Colo./Silver Creek) singled through the right side
to score Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) as the Loggers
built a 2-0 lead.
The Poets used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to get
back within one but Will Mentor (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) led
off the top of the second with a sole home run as the Logger
lead climbed back up the 3-1. The Poets answered the
Loggers' run in the bottom of the inning and neither squad
plated a run in the third.
Puget Sound opened the lead up in the top of the fourth, as Cox
doubled to right center to score Andrew Grady (Cave Creek,
Ariz./Phoenix Country Day) and Mentor. Rockey picked up his
second RBI of the day two batters later, singling through the right
side to score Cox from second.
Josh Genzuk tried to start a rally for the Poets in the bottom
of the fourth, hitting a single down the right field line to score
Chris Hylland as WC closed the gap, 6-3. Alex Mitchell was
then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring the score to 6-4
but Logger starter Jarvis Nohara (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani) pitched
out the jam with two quick outs.
Whittier added another run in the bottom of the fifth but the
Loggers struck again in the top of the sixth as Cox continued a
solid week in California with a two RBI triple to left center that
scored Grady and Stephen Kelsey (Seattle, Wash./Ballard).
Matt Cox (Salem, Ore./South Salem) joined in on the fun, singling
to center to score Doug Cox as the Loggers took a 9-5 lead.
The Poets picked up one run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of
the sixth and the Loggers answered back in the top of the seventh
as Resnik doubled to left center, scoring Doug Cox from second,
before being thrown out at third trying to extend his hit.
In the top of the eighth, Rockey hit a solo home run to lead off
the inning and give the maroon and white an 11-6 lead. The
dinger was the 23rd of his Logger career, tied with Michael Olsen
for the most in school history. Olsen hit the mark in 141
games, while Rockey achieved the feat in just 58 games.
The Poets put forth one final effort in the bottom of the ninth,
managing to get a single run on the board but it wasn't
enough to prevent the Loggers from collecting the 11-7
victory.
Nohara collected the win, allowing five runs on five hits in
five innings with two strikeouts. Doug Cox was four of five from
the plate with four runs scored and four RBIs to lead the Loggers
to the non-conference win. Rockey picked up three RBIs and
one run scored on three of six batting on the record-tying
afternoon.
The Loggers will return to Northwest Conference play next
weekend when they travel down to Portland for a three-game series
with Lewis & Clark.
