TACOMA, Washington – Nathan Blocher hit his second home run of the season, but the Puget Sound baseball team lost its rubber match against Whitman, 9-4, at Logger Field Sunday afternoon.
 
Puget Sound jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Makana Murashige reached based on a throwing error by the shortstop with two outs. Blocher – the very next batter – put the Loggers ahead by two with one swing of the bat.
 
The Loggers tacked on another run in the third inning when Cody Hirano hit a double, and then came in to score when Murashige lined a single.
 
Murashige was the catalyst once more in the fifth inning. He hit a two-out single, stole second base, and then came in to score when the third baseman dropped a high pop-up next to the mound. The miscue pushed the Loggers' lead to 4-1.
 
However, the Blues hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, and they added four more runs in the ninth.
 
The Loggers' Northwest Conference slate continues at Lewis & Clark, Feb. 25-26.