WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Coming off its Northwest Conference series win against Whitworth, Puget Sound looked to do the same with weekend play against Whitman. The Loggers took the first game in a close 2-1 win while losing the backend of the double-header 7-12.
Game 1: Puget Sound 2, Whitman 1
Pitcher
Davis Franklin picked up his third win of the season with a complete game on the mound, giving up just one run on five total hits. The game stayed at 0-0 through the first four innings before the Loggers struck first in the top of the fifth. With a runner in scoring position at second,
Brock Makishima was able to bring the runner home off a single to left field. The side of the inning ended with two runners left on base.
The Blues tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when the lead-off hitter on the inning doubled to left field. The runner was able to cross the plate after advancing on a groundout and fly ball out.
The game stayed tied until the top of the ninth with a solo home run from
Jack McCullar, his second on the season. The Loggers had another shot in the inning when Makishima walked, but a strikeout stranded him on base. Franklin looked to hold on to the lead, but it was not easy. Whitman's Brandon Ting advanced to first after getting hit by the pitch to start the Blues attempt at the win. The next batter grounded out. After substituting Rivera for Ting, Christian Rivera stole second putting a runner in scoring position. Once again, a hitter was hit by a pitch, but Puget Sound was able to close out the win with a strikeout and a catch in center field.
Franklin led the team with three hits off of four at bats. The Loggers had 10 total hits on the game.
Game 2: Puget Sound 7, Whitman 12
Puget Sound grabbed the early lead in game two with a run in each of the first and second innings. In the first,
Drew Kamihara got on the board quickly with a home run. Whitman answered with its own long ball to tie the game. In the second,
Sean Murphy doubled to right field and was able to bring in
Cody Hirano who had walked and stole second to put himself in scoring position. The second inning ended with the Loggers up 2-1.
In the third inning, with two runners on base, The Blues' Brandon Ting hit a three-run home run. Whitman picked up another home run to end the inning with four runs and the lead. It wasn't long before Whitman padded its lead with seven more runs in the fifth inning.
Puget Sound made a run in the final two innings adding five runs to its total, but the efforts fell short. The Loggers seven runs came off of six total hits for the game. The team left seven runners stranded on base. Six pitchers took the mound for the Loggers with
Charlie Decker taking the loss.
Puget Sound will look to rebound on Sunday with the final game of the Whitman Series starting at noon.
