TACOMA, Wash. – Cody Hirano scored two homeruns, scoring on opposite sides of the field but the Puget Sound Loggers struggled to find a pitching rhythm allowing 24 hits on the day while the Lewis and Clark Pioneers slid to a double victory on Saturday at Logger Field. The Loggers fell 11-10 in the first game followed by a 10-6 loss in the second game.
Game 1: Puget Sound 10, Lewis and Clark 11
The game opened with a strong defensive front from the Loggers in the top of the 1st inning, followed by a dominant bottom half. The Loggers first got on the board when Brock Makishima singled to score in Davis Franklin who was initially walked. Makana Murashige made marks scoring home on a wild pitch. Kellen Krebs added to the score with a sacrifice fly to score Jack McCullar who was also walked onto base. Then, Hirano slammed a homerun over right field to take a 5-0 lead. With decisive hits and strategic baserunning, Puget Sound surged ahead, scoring five runs.
Lewis & Clark fought back with a homerun of their own in the top of the second, but three strikeouts following would end the inning 5-1.
In the bottom of the third, Makishima doubled to right field to bring in one more, then was able to score himself on a fielders choice. The Loggers managed two runs on two hits and two walks, leaving two on base.
It was in the 6th inning that Lewis and Clark's Luke Bass scored another homerun to add two more to their score.
Then, in the seventh inning the Pioneers tied up the game at 7-7 with a series of well-executed plays. The bottom of the 7th and top of the 8th went scoreless, but the Loggers weren't done as Kamihara tripled to score in two on base and dive into home after an error by second base. Lewis and Clark walked four Loggers, but the excitement was quickly squashed in the top of the 9th when the Loggers had to make multiple pitching changes in order to get out of the hole they were in. The Pioneers had four hits, but it was the final single from Will Heron to right field that took the lead and the win.
The tension mounted as the game headed into the bottom of the 9th inning, with Puget Sound needing one run to secure the victory. Hirano would get a single, but a strikeout from Aidan Sullivan would end the game. Davis Franklin pitched 6.0 innings for 11 strikeouts and just three earned runs in the loss.
Game 2: Puget Sound 6, Lewis and Clark 10
The Pioneers got on the board first capitalizing on a pass ball opportunity to steal home, the Loggers would respond with an early homerun from Hirano.
A homerun from freshman Preston Crockett would double the Loggers lead in the bottom of the 3rd followed by a single and two outs. The Loggers would stay alive and score one more when Sean Murphy singled to center field, the inning would end in a groundout with two Loggers left on base.
The game remained tight until the Pioneers exploded with a huge offensive surge, scoring nine runs on five hits, five walks, and an error by the Loggers to widen the gap.
The Loggers rallied in the bottom of the 7th with three hits and one walk, but would only be able to score two runs.
Despite Puget Sound's efforts to rally in the top of the 9th, Lewis and Clark's defense held firm, Murashige would score the last run on a homer to left field. Joe Schwab pitched 5.0 innings, struckout six batters and pitched no earned runs in the loss.
The Loggers will look to redeem themselves tomorrow, April 14, at noon on Logger Field.
