Pirates Find Themselves on Both Ends of Sunday Blowouts

Whitworth (4-12, 1-2 NWC) At Puget Sound (3/14/10) Won 10-4 (Box Score) Lost 13-3 (Box Score)

Ben George

TACOMA, Wash. - Whitworth pounded out 20 hits to win 10-4 at Puget Sound in the opener of a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader on Sunday. But the Pirates could not contain the Logger bats in a 13-3 loss during the series finale.

Whitworth is now 4-12 overall, 1-2 in the NWC. Puget Sound is 8-7, 4-2.

Game 1 - Whitworth 10, Puget Sound 4
Whitworth clubbed Puget Sound pitching for a season-high 20 hits, breaking open a 4-4 tie with five runs in the fifth inning. Kevin Valerio sparked the attack by going 4 for 5 and scoring four runs.

Kyle Krustangel singled home Valerio with the Bucs' first run in the top of the first inning. Whitworth added three more in the third when Dan Belet drove in Valerio, Greg Hata was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and John Rausch singled home Belet.

Puget Sound touched up Whitworth starter Nathan Johnson for four runs in the bottom of the third, all on Will Mentor's grand slam home run. But it was the only mistake Johnson made all game, as he went the distance for his second win of the season. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with five strikeouts.

Nick Combo and Michael Takemura delivered RBI doubles early in Whitworth's five-run fifth. Landon Scott added a two-run single later in the inning, then Krustangel drove home the final run of the rally when his single scored Scott.

Scott singled home Valerio with the Pirates' final run of the game in the top of the ninth.

Combo had four hits and JR Jarrell added three hits for the Bucs.

Game 2 - Puget Sound 13, Whitworth 3
Leading 4-3 in the bottom of the third, UPS began to pull away with a three run rally that sparked the eventual 10-run win.

Whitworth got single runs in each of the first three innings. When Takemura raced home from third in the top of the first, it was the third time in the series Whitworth had scored in its initial at-bat. Jarrell scored in the second inning on a Logger throwing error. Scott scored on Belet's fielder's choice in the third to pull the Bucs within 4-3. But that was as close as Whitworth would get.

UPS added three in the third to open a 7-3 lead and steadily pulled away while tagging Pirate pitchers for 17 hits.

Liam O'Brien started and went two innings, giving up four runs to fall to 0-4 this season. Jarvis Nohara pitched six innings to earn the win for the Loggers.

Whitworth will finally get a chance to play at home next weekend when the Pirates host Lewis & Clark College in a three-game Northwest Conference series at Merkel Field.