TACOMA, Wash. – Whitworth came up big in the final two innings twice on Sunday, earning a win and a tie in a non-conference baseball doubleheader at Puget Sound.
The Pirates (6-3-1) scored 12 late runs in a 14-2 rout in the opener, the rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth of a 7-7, ten-inning tie in the nightcap against the Loggers (2-3-1). Tyler Pfeffer led the Bucs with four doubles on Sunday.
Whitworth will take next weekend off before playing at Central Washington in a non-conference doubleheader on March 3rd.
Game 1 – Whitworth 14, Puget Sound 2
Spencer Ansett pitched eight strong innings and the Pirates blew the game open with six runs each in the eighth and ninth innings.
Ansett improved to 3-0 after tossing eight innings and allowing only one earned run on four hits. He struck out four batters and walked only one. Brandon Ellendt threw the ninth inning for the Bucs.
With the game tied 2-2 heading to the top of the eighth, Whitworth scored six times to open an 8-2 lead. Joshua Davis singled home the first run and the second came home on Nick Motsinger's fielder's choice. But it was Pfeffer who provided the big blow: a bases-clearing double to the gap in left center.
The Pirates added six more runs in the ninth. Gerhard Muelheims had an RBI single and Motsinger followed with an RBI double. Landon Scott drove home two more with his own double to left. JR Jarrell, who had an RBI hit in the eighth, drove home Whitworth's final run with a sacrifice fly.
Luke Englert (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Loggers.
Game 2 – Whitworth 7, Puget Sound 7 (10 innings) The Loggers looked like they might make it a split on Sunday before Whitworth rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to force a tie. The game was called a tie after ten innings due to darkness.
Pfeffer hit the first of his three doubles in the game in the top of the first to give the Pirates a quick 1-0 lead. Paul Miller followed with an RBI single.
But UPS took control soon after. The Loggers went ahead 3-2 with three runs in the third, including Will Mentor's two-run homer. UPS added one more in the fifth, then scored three in the sixth to open a 7-2 lead. Mentor added an RBI single in that second three-run rally.
Whitworth closed to within 7-4 in the seventh when Scott singled and Pfeffer doubled to put runners on second and third with none out. Both scored on subsequent ground outs.
Pfeffer started the ninth-inning rally with a walk and scored on Justin Liu's fielder's choice. Muelheims doubled down the left field line with two outs to drive in the final two runs that tied the game.
C.J. Perry started on the mound for the Bucs and gave up three runs in 3.1 innings. Taylor Isadore, Dan Scheibe and Jason Renner combined to throw 4.1 innings of shutout relief.
