Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 TACOMA, Wash. – Another quality start from senior Matt Robinson led the Puget Sound baseball team to a 4-2 win over Whitman in Saturday's home-opener. The second game of the series was suspended in the top of the seventh with the score tied at 4-4 dues to rain.
Game 1 – W, 4-2
Robinson had another solid start for the Loggers (6-5, 1-0 NWC) to improve to 4-0 on the mound in the 2013. He enjoyed his longest outing of the year thus far, going eight innings and striking out five in the win. He allowed six hits and two runs although only one was earned, keeping his ERA below 1.00.
Robinson received some immediate support when the Loggers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Kaulana Smith and Christian Carter were each aboard with a single. Lucas Stone then knocked a two-out single of his own into right center to cash in Smith for a 1-0 Logger lead.
Carter ended up 3-for-4 in the game while Stone had two hits in the game.
With runners on second and third and one out in the third the Loggers extended their lead to 2-0. Savage was on third when Nate Backes hit a fly ball into left field. Savage tagged up and scored just before the final out was recorded at third.
The Missionaries (5-6, 0-1 NWC) got going in the fourth as Jimmy Madden singled and was quickly brought home by Aaron Cohen's double in the next at-bat. Cohen stood on third with two outs. Robinson got what appeared to be an inning-ending groundball but a Logger error extended the inning and allowed Cohen to score to tie the game at 2-2.
Stone started the Loggers up in the bottom of the fourth with his second single and advanced all the way to third on a Whitman error on the next play. He trotted home after a balk was called moments later to regain the Logger lead. Nick Funyak later came home to score on another Whitman error in the inning.
Pitching took over late in the game as the last 10 batters from each team were retired in order. Brett Lambert went five strong innings but took the loss for Whitman. Will Thompson pitched three perfect innings in relief to keep the visitors close.
Robinson handed the ball to Steve Wagar in the ninth and Wagar put down the Missionaries 1-2-3 with one strikeout to earn his first save of the year.
Game 2 – tied at 4-4 in the 7th
The late game was tied at 4-4 with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh inning when heavy rain forced the game to be suspended until 11 a.m. tomorrow.
Whitman had just tied up the game with two runs in the seventh. Kyle Moyes and drove in a run with a ground ball to short with the bases loaded and Peter Valentine knocked an RBI-single into right also with the bases loaded to tie up the game.
The Loggers had taken the early lead when Savaged doubled in JB Eary in the third. The Missionaries answered in the top of the fourth as Paul Heywood's double plated two runs for a 2-1 Whitman lead. The Loggers regained the lead in the bottom half when Stone's single was misplayed in the outfield, allowing Backes to score all the way from first.
Nate Aguiar had started the game for the Loggers and pitched into the seventh inning before giving way to Wagar after two batters. All four Missionary runs were charged to Aguair, who also truck out four batters.
Spencer Hobson tossed all six innings for Whitman, striking out four and allowing seven hits. Stone has two hits in the game for his second consecutive multi-hit game. Stone has now hit safely in 10 of his 11 games this year.
The game will conclude tomorrow with Wagar still on the mound for the Loggers with a 1-2 count on Heywood. The bases are loaded with two outs.
