SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University scored five runs in the second inning for a 5-0 lead and went on to defeat Pacific Lutheran University, 5-3, in a Northwest Conference game on Sunday, March 8 at John Lewis Field. The Bearcats upped their record to 13-3 on the season, while Pacific Lutheran fell to 12-5. Both teams moved to 6-3 in the NWC.
The win for Willamette places the Bearcats and the Lutes one game behind University of Puget Sound in the NWC standings. UPS improved to 7-2 in the conference with a 9-4 win over Pacific University on Sunday. Whitworth University is 4-2 and George Fox University is 5-4.
Starting pitcher Tyler Olson (Sr., RHP) of WU recorded the win over the Lutes with a six-inning performance that included two strikeouts and one walk. Olson, 2-0, limited the Lutes to two runs and six hits.
Andrew Koumelis (Jr., LHP) picked up his second save by pitching the final two innings. He entered the game with a runner at first and no outs in the eighth inning.
Rolenn Himuro (Sr., CF) provided the key hit for Willamette, a two-run double to center that gave the Bearcats a 4-0 lead with two outs in the second inning. Himuro went on to score Willamette's fifth run.
The top of the second opened with a single up the middle by Gordie Clary (Jr., RF). Brad Breier (Sr., C) batted next and hit the ball between first and second. Landon Packard, the Lutes' second baseman, whose only option was to get Breier at first, committed a fielding error.
Blake Lepire (Jr., UT) followed with a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third. Shea Harrison (Jr., LF/RHP, El Cerrito, CA/El Cerrito HS) singled to right field to score Clary with the game's first run. A balk allowed Breier to score and moved Harrison to second.
Nate Bush (Fr., SS) singled through the left side, sending Harrison to third. One out later, Himuro was down 0-2 in the count when he blasted his double to center, as Bush and Harrison scored. Hunter Gallant (Sr., 3B) brought home Himuro with a single to center.
Olson kept Pacific Lutheran off the scoreboard in the first five innings, even though the Lutes gained a runner in all five frames. PLU had a runner at second base with no outs in the second. In the third, Brett Johnson hit a leadoff double and PLU got runners to first and third with two outs. The Lutes advanced a runner to second with two outs in the fourth.
In the fifth, Ben Welch singled for PLU with one out. Drew Oord hit the ball up the middle, but second baseman Troy Conway (Fr.) made a diving stop and flipped the ball to Bush to put out Welch at second. An out on a fielder's choice and a flyout to left center ended the inning.
The Lutes scored two runs in the sixth inning. Collin Nilson opened the stanza with a single to center. Tyler Thompson followed with a homer over the center field fence. Olson responded by forcing a groundout, a strikeout and a flyout.
PLU pulled within 5-3 in the top of the seventh. With one out and Welch on first, Oord singled to right field. Connor Cantu hit into a 4-6 fielder's choice, as Oord was thrown out at second and Welch reached third. Nilson provided an RBI single to left center to drive in Welch.
Bush singled to start the bottom of the seventh and Gallant walked with two outs, but the Bearcats left both runners on base.
Willamette continued to hold a two-run lead at the end of the eighth inning.
Welch opened the ninth with a single to center for PLU. Oord batted next and hit the ball low and hard toward Tiras Koon (Sr., 1B) at first base. Koon snagged the ball on the fly and completed a double play by tagging first base before Welch could return to the bag.
Tanner Williams earned a single up the middle to keep the Lutes at the plate. Nilson flied out to Himuro in center field to end the game.
Bush was 2 for 3 for Willamette with a run scored. Himuro finished 1 for 2 with a run and two RBIs. Nilson went 3 for 5 for PLU with a run and an RBI. Welch and Oord each achieved two hits for the Lutes. PLU outhit the Bearcats, 12-8, but left 10 runners on base, while WU stranded just five runners.
The Bearcats will take on Puget Sound in a three-game NWC series next weekend in Tacoma, Wash. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 14, starting at 11 a.m. (PDT), followed by one game on Sunday, March 15 at 12 p.m.