Box Score
PORTLAND – A defensive miscue in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Pacific their second win of the season Friday as the Boxers got past Oregon Tech in a tightly-played 2-1 baseball game in the Northwest-Cascade Challenge at Hilken Community Stadium.
With the game tied 1-1 from the fourth inning on, Pacific got things going in the bottom of the 10th when Grant Gabriel (So., Honolulu, Hawaii) singled to open the frame. Pinch runner Therone Bridges (So., Vancouver, Wash.) advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Nate Rasmussen (Sr., Sandy, Utah) hit into what should have been a ground out, but Oregon Tech second baseman Kevin Shulemson mishandled the ball, allowing Bridges home for the game-winning run.
The error proved the difference in a pitcher's duel between the Boxers and Hustlin' Owls, NAIA members of the Cascade Conference. Pacific finished with eight hits, but left 10 men on base. Oregon Tech hammered out nine hits, but also left 10 men on base.
Pacific (2-6) manufactured a run in the bottom of the third to open scoring. Jordan Siu (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) picked up a lead-off walk against Oregon Tech starter Aaron Jorgenson, with Brett Nakasone (Jr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) sacrificing him over to second. Kevin Schwartz (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) then followed with a double to left center field, long enough to bring Siu around to score.
The Hustlin' Owls (2-8) got the run back in the next half inning with three hits against Pacific starter Chad Fahey (Sr., Keizer, Ore.). Ryan Hayden and Brad Walters opened the frame with back-to-back singles, with both runners sacrificed to second and third by Dylan Rogers. Zack Earle followed with a rolling single through the left side to score Hayden before Ryan Grant grounded into a double play to kill any chance of taking the lead.
Neither team saw a runner advance past second base until the ninth, when the Owls had a chance to put the game away. With two outs, Earle walked on four straight pitches against Rasmussen, who came in to relieve Fahey at the top of the inning. Grant singled Earle to third on the next at bat before Rasmussen coaxed Hayden Wolfe into a ground out to end the threat.
Rasmussen picked up the win in relief in his third appearance of the season, allowing four hits and two walks with one strikeout in two innings of work. Fahey turned in a solid effort in his second start of the season, allowing the one runs on five hits, walking two and striking out one in eight innings.
Reliever Daniel Doty took the loss for Oregon Tech, allowing the one unearned run on three hits with a walk in 2.1 innings of action. Jorgenson went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts in seven innings.
Schwartz and Jared Van Hoon (Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) each went 2 for 4 to lead the Boxers offensively. Walters and Rogers each went 2 for 4 to pace Oregon Tech.
Pacific continues action at the Northwest-Cascade Challenge on Saturday against a familiar foe as the Boxers face off against Puget Sound. Game time has moved back from the originally scheduled 10 a.m., to 1 p.m., due to rain delays in Friday evening's games.