Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – A battle between the Northwest Conference's best pitching staff and one of the league's top offenses in playoff race lived up to it's billing Saturday as Pacific and Whitworth split their baseball doubleheader at Merkel Field.
 
Rob Dittrick (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) earned his seventh straight win and his fourth complete game victory in the opener as Mike Nagamine's (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii) third inning homer punctuated a 6-2 win.  Whitworth's Dan Scheibe put together an equally impressive effort in the nightcap, allowing just six hits as the Pirates hammered out runs in each of the first five innings in a 7-1 win.
 
The split only tightens up the NWC playoff picture even more.  Pacific improved to 17-12, 14-3 NWC, and maintained their two-game lead over both the Pirates and Linfield.  Linfield, who is playing a three-game non-conference series at Chapman this weekend, sits percentage points ahead of the Pirates for second place.  The Boxers and Pirates will complete the three-game series on Sunday at noon.
 
Nagamine led Pacific offensively in the twinbill with four hits and three runs batted in.
 
GAME 1 – PACIFIC 6, WHITWORTH 2
Whitworth got off to a quick start against Pacific's ace in the bottom of the first. Gerhard Muelheims doubled to left center field with one out.  Tyler Pfeffer walked and Landon Scott followed with a single through the left side that plated Muelheims.
 
Dittrick settled down after that, not allowing a Pirates' runner past first over the next four innings.  The Pacific offense, meanwhile, did what their part to take the lead.  Michael Arakaki (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) led off the second inning with a walk, Nagamine followed with a single and both runners advanced 90 feet on Jordan Siu's (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) sacrifice bunt.
 
Arakaki scored when Donnie Bradley (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.) struck out on a wild pitch, which allowed him to reach first base.  Bradley stole second and Kevin Schwartz (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) followed with a ground out that scored Nagamine.  Nick Tasaka (Jr., Hawaii Kai, Hawaii) drove in Pacific's third run when his single scored Bradley.
 
The Boxers added two runs in the third on Nagamine's fourth home run of the season, a shot to right center field.  Bradley led the Pacific fourth off with a bunt single and went on to score on a double steal attempt.
 
Whitworth added one run in the sixth inning when Nick Motsinger singled to open the frame and scored on Pfeffer's sacrifice fly.  The Pirates had two runners on base with one out in the eighth, but Dittrick coaxed Scott into a double play ball to end the threat.
 
Dittrick proved solid again to earn his fourth complete game win and his seventh win in a row, improving to 7-1 on the season.  He allowed two runs on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts.  Carson Blumenthal (4-4) took the loss for the Pirates, allowing six runs on six hits with three walks and a strikeout in four innings.  Nick Scourey allowed five hits in the final five innings of work.
 
Nate Rasmussen (Sr., Sandy, Utah) and Bradley each went 3 for 4 to lead Pacific, with Rasmussen contributing his team-leading 11th double of the season.  Motsinger, Muelheims, Scott and Valerio each had two hits to pace Whitworth.
 
GAME 2 – WHITWORTH 7, PACIFIC 0
One of the league's most potent offenses wasted little time getting their bats going in the second game to stay in the playoff race.  Motsinger walked to lead off the first and went on to score on a single up the middle by Pfeffer.  Paul Miller made it a 2-0 game when he led off the second with a single and scored on Erik Nikssarian's single through the left side.
 
Pfeffer provided the Pirates' back-breaking blow in the third.  Mottsinger and Muelheims led off the frame with single to set the plate for Pfeffer's three-run homer to deep center field.  Nikssarian added his own homer in the fourth off reliever Jason Sawyer (So., Scappoose, Ore.).  Pfeffer made it a 7-0 Whitworth lead in the fifth when he led off the inning with a double and scored on JR Jarrell's single down the right field line.
 
Pacific finally picked up their first run off of Whitworth hurler Scheibe in the eighth.  Logan Moen (Jr., Brier, Wash.) led off with a double, advanced to third on a balk and scored on Nagamine's single to right center field.
 
Mike McGuire (Sr., Olympia, Wash.) picked up the first loss in his last four starts to fall to 3-2 on the season.  He allowed five runs on eight hits with a walk in three innings.  Scheibe went the distance to improve to 3-2 on the year, allowing one run on six hits with 12 strikeouts.
 
Nagamine led Pacific at the plate with two hits while four other Pacific players finished with a hit apiece.  Pfeffer went 3 for 4 with four runs batted in to lead Whitworth while Motsinger, Muelheims, Miller and Nikssarian each finished with two hits.