FOREST GROVE, Ore.—Junior
Evyn Lewis capped off a ninth-inning comeback in game one with a two-run single, to help Lewis & Clark College baseball earn a doubleheader split with host Pacific University on Saturday.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 4, Pacific 3
Pacific 8, Lewis & Clark 4
(Lewis & Clark 16-16, Northwest Conference 9-8)
(Pacific 12-21, NWC 9-11)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The River Otters fell behind early in both games but scored three runs in the top of the ninth of game one and nearly orchestrated another comeback in the ninth inning of game two.
GAME ONE RECAP
Junior
Owen Eisen and senior
Nate Kerr held Pacific scoreless for the final eight innings and sophomore
Will Michelman and E. Lewis combined to drive in three runs in the top of the ninth.
E. Lewis finished the game 2-4 with a double and three RBI. Senior
Brandon Gonzaga accounted for three hits in four at-bats.
Eisen allowed three runs in the first inning but held the Boxers to seven hits, two walks and three runs over seven innings of work. Kerr came on for the final two innings and scattered two hits and one walk to earn the win. Both Lewis & Clark pitchers registered two strikeouts.
Pacific struck for three runs on three hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch in the first inning.
The River Otters cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fifth. Senior
Joaquin Sandoval led off with a single and moved to third on a double from first year
Garrett Lewis. With the bases loaded and one out, E. Lewis singled to left field to plate Sandoval.
After giving up three runs in the first, Eisen would allow just five base runners over his final six innings of work. He retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth and used a 4-3 inning-ending double play to face the minimum in the sixth.
Michelman ended Pacific starter Governor Aufranc's day to start the ninth inning. The sophomore belted a home run to right field to lead off the frame and force a pitching change. Sandoval reached on a hit by pitch and first year
Yuma Noda came on as a pinch runner. Pacific tried to retire Noda on a fielder's choice but Noda advanced to third on an error and first year
Lenox Bray was also safe at first. After a fielder's choice wiped out Noda at home plate, Gonzaga loaded the bases with a single to center. E. Lewis came through with a double to shallow left-center to plate Bray and sophomore
Jacob Shannon-Wilkerson for a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Pacific loaded the bases on a pair of singles and an intentional walk with two down. Kerr induced a ground ball to Gonzaga at shortstop - who recorded the out at second to seal the win.
GAME TWO RECAP
Pacific posted three innings with multiple runs and the Boxers managed to close the door - after Lewis & Clark brought the tying-run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. The hosts jumped out to another 3-0 lead but added two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to stretch their advantage to 8-2. Lewis & Clark would score two runs in the ninth and five batters reached in the inning, but the River Otters couldn't complete a second-straight comeback.
Junior
Bret Potter recorded two of the team's five hits and added a hit by pitch. Junior
Michael Aikawa (two runs, two walks), Sandoval (one RBI) and E. Lewis (one run) all chipped in one hit.
Sophomore
Sam Burchi took the loss for Lewis & Clark after allowing seven hits, six walks and five runs in 4+ innings pitched. The southpaw tacked on three strikeouts. Junior
Connor Broschard scattered three hits, three walks and three runs (two earned) over three innings. Junior
Austin Watkins allowed one walk and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning.
Pacific starter Nicholas Saelens stayed red-hot. The reigning NWC Pitcher of the Week struck out 11 and allowed three runs over 8.1 innings pitched.
The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the first and tacked on two runs in the third to push their advantage to 3-0.
Lewis & Clark cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fourth. Aikawa (walk) and Potter (single) started the rally with one out. After a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two down, Sandoval delivered an RBI single to left to plate Aikawa.
Pacific tacked on two runs in the fifth and threatened to add more. Broschard came on with with two runs already in adn runners on first and second with no outs. He retired the first batter he faced on a fly out but the runner at second moved up to third. The junior reliever walked the next batter to load the bases. He righted the ship by posting a strikeout and a groundout to leave the bases loaded.
Lewis & Clark answered with one run in the sixth. Aikawa and Potter notched back-to-back singles and Michelman worked a walk to load the bases with one out. G. Lewis made it 5-2 with a bases-load walk but Saelens recorded his third strikeout of the inning to strand three runners.
Pacific tacked on three runs in the seventh inning to push their lead to 8-2.
Lewis & Clark sent eight batters to the plate in the ninth inning. With one down, E. Lewis came through with a pinch-hit single to end Saelens' day. With two outs, Gonzaga (walk) and junior
Eli Steinhaus (hit by pitch) reached to load the bases. Aikawa made it 8-3 with an RBI walk and Potter followed with an RBI hit by pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Reliever Aidan Carpenter finally recorded a fly out to right to end the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
- E. Lewis finished the day 3-5 with a run scored, one double and three RBI.
- The River Otters scored five of their eight runs in the ninth innings of the two contests.
- Potter match Steinhaus for the longest reaching-base streak by a Lewis & Clark player this season. Potter reached base in both games to bring his total to 20 games in a row.
- Eisen has thrown a season-high seven innings in back-to-back outings and given up just four runs in those two starts (2.57 ERA).
- The River Otters earned their first win at Chuck Bafaro Stadium since winning the 2023 Northwest Conference Championship with a 10-7 win over Pacific.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark will look to win the rubber match on Sunday against Pacific. First pitch is scheduled to start at Noon.
