The Pacific University baseball team picked up a pair of two-run victories to extend its winning streak to four with a 5-3 win over Lewis & Clark and 3-1 victory over Whitman on Sunday at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
The Boxers (4-4) evened its record at .500 with the two wins after starting its season with four-straight losses in a season-opening trip to Shreveport, Louisiana to face nationally-ranked Centenary and fellow West region foe East Texas Baptist.
Pacific starting pitcher Sam Lawrence (Sammamish, Wash.) in game one and Trevor Quinn (Fresno, Calif.) in game two played a key role in both wins for the Boxers. Lawrence went five innings, scattering five hits and five strikeouts en route to the win. Quinn settled down after allowing an unearned run and three hits in the first inning, allowing four hits in 7.1 innings and striking out seven in a winning effort.
Reliever Cole Kanazawa (Honolulu, Hawaii) earned a pair of saves on the day. He pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits for his second save against the Pioneers. In the nightcap, he came on to pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth. The senior answered the challenge, getting a fly out and a strikeout to for his second save of the day and his third save of the weekend.
To start the day, Pacific scored four times in the fourth inning and added another in the sixth before holding off a late rally by Lewis & Clark for the 5-3 win.
Dylan Wright (Gilbert, Ariz.) had four hits, two runs scored and a RBI to lead a 10-hit attack for the Boxers. Luke Peevyhouse (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Ryan Krout (Washougal, Wash.) each had two hits and Brandon Henderson (Pearl City, Hawaii) came off the bench for a clutch, pinch-hit two RBI single in the fourth that put Pacific ahead 4-0.
In the nightcap, the temperatures dropped into the mid 30's which limited the offensive attack for both teams. Pacific was limited to six hits and Whitman was held to seven by four Pacific pitchers. However, the Boxers took advantage of a pair of miscues by the Blues en route to the win.
Whitman scored the first run of the game on three hits after an error by the Boxers. Pacific tied it at 1 in its half of the first on a RBI groundout by Wright, who plated Derek Legeza (Peoria, Ariz.) who led off the inning with a walk. He moved up on a wild pitch and ground ball, respectively.
The Boxers took their first lead of the game in the third inning as Max Nealon (Redmond, Wash.) walked and Legeza singled to put runners on second and third. The duo moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch and Wright walked to load the bases. With one out, Ryan Krout hit a pop up on the infield that was ruled an infield fly but was misplayed the Blues' shortstop to score a hustling Nealon from third for the go-ahead run.
After Meyer got a strikeout and a ground out to escape a bases loaded jam in the top of the fourth, his offense added to its lead in its half of the inning. The Boxers plated a run without a single hit in the inning. With two out, Nealon reached on an error, then he moved up on a wild pitch. Next, Legeza walk to put runners on first and second. A Blues' wild pitch moved Nealon to third. Then, a Blues' passed ball brought in Nealon for the Boxers' third run of the contest.
The two teams will have a rematch as they begin Northwest Conference play against one another, next weekend. The action starts on Saturday, Feb. 17 in a doubleheader at noon, followed by a single game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at noon in Walla Walla, Washington.