Willamette University

Baseball | Saturday, March 27, 2004

Willamette Wins Two at Whitworth

Spokane, Wash. — The Bearcats defeated the Pirates in two very different games on Saturday. Visiting Willamette University pulled out two wins over Whitworth College in a Northwest Conference double header at Merkel Field.

The Bearcats came back from an early deficit to win a 13-12 slugfest in the opener. Willamette then won a tense pitchers' dual 3-1 in the nightcap.


Whitworth led Willamette 4-0 and 6-3 early in the second game before the teams traded leads over the final five innings. Brian Gilmore's RBI double in the top of the eighth drove in his brother, Kyle Gilmore, with the eventual game-winning run. Zach Vande Griend (4-1) pitched six innings of relief for Willamette to pick up the win, despite the fact that he gave up eight runs on 13 hits over that span. Trevor Sheffels allowed only one hit in one-third of an inning of relief, but that runner was Kyle Gilmore in the eighth and that run proved the difference, giving Sheffels (0-1) the loss. Second baseman Dan Woldseth drove in four runs for the Bearcats, while LF Josh Taylor drove in four for the Pirates.


Jeff Jensen pitched the final seven innings of the night cap, allowing one run on four hits to win a tight 3-1 decision. He improved to 4-3. Kris White fell to 1-4 for Whitworth despite allowing only three runs (two earned) on five hits over eight innings. Colin Griffen scored Willamette's first run from third base when catcher Jeremy McMillen's pick-off attempt was high. Whitworth tied the game in the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles by Casey Thomas and Jeremy McMillen. Woldseth came through big again for Willamette in the seventh with a two-RBI single with two outs for the winning margin.


Willamette improved to 12-9 overall and 5-4 in the NWC. Whitworth fell to 8-12 and 4-7. The teams will complete the three-game series with a single contest on Sunday at noon.