SPOKANE, Wash. - Jeremy Druffel homered twice to lead a Whitworth offense that scored double-digit runs for the third consecutive game and Arory Milyard shut down visiting Whitman with an impressive relief effort for a 10-5 win on Sunday at Merkel Field.

Whitworth (11-0, 3-0 Northwest Conference) continued to build upon its program-best start to a season, pulling away from Whitman (3-12, 2-4 NWC) after an early 5-5 tie to complete the weekend sweep. The Pirates opened the weekend with a 10-4 win before topping Whitman 18-1 during a doubleheader on Saturday.

Whitman wasted no time jumping to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Adrian Vela hit his second home run of the series, a three-run shot, to left field following back-to-back singles.

Whitworth responded with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two of which came by way of a bases-loaded single from Jacob Yamane. Three of the first four batters to the plate reached safely to set the stage for Yamane during the second inning. A third run scored when Nate Lamberty reached on an error with two outs.

The Missionaries regained the lead with a solo home run from Joseph Zimmer in the top of the second inning and pushed the advantage to 5-3 during the fourth inning. It was Zimmer again who delivered the run-scoring hit in the fourth inning. He connected for a two-out double, his third hit of the game, to score Alec Rainsford. Rainsford had doubled with one out earlier in the inning.

The Pirates once again quickly answered Whitman's offense, belting back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Druffel smacked a two-out solo home run to the opposite field over the high right-field wall and Matthew Nelson followed by belting a home run just to the right of the scoreboard in right-center field to tie the score at 5-5.

Whitworth broke the tie during the fifth inning before adding a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to pull away.

Jordan McGowan led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and later scored via a RBI single from Anthony Bonilla. The Pirates scored an unearned run in the sixth inning when an errant throw from the Whitman first baseman to the pitcher covering first base allowed Nelson to score from second base for a 7-5 lead.

Druffel's second home run of the game, and third of the season, added insurance runs during the seventh inning. Lamberty singled to begin the inning and advanced on a sacrifice bunt before Skyler Lookabill singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Druffel then belted his home run over the left field wall for his third hit of the day.

Milyard (2-0) shut down Whitman in relief of starter Ryan Kingma. He entered the game in the fifth inning and allowed no runs and only one hit with one strikeout and no walks in five innings of work. He retired nine batters in a row between the fifth and eighth innings and only two runners reached safely against Milyard (one hit, one reached on error).

Steven Ainsworth (0-3) took the loss for Whitman in relief of starter Henry Lin. 

Every Pirate batter had at least one hit on Sunday. Druffel went 3 for 4 with a walk, four RBIs and three runs scored. Aside from the home runs, his other hit was a triple. Nelson was 3 for 5 with two runs scored and one RBI.

Zimmer finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead Whitman. Vela was 1 for 4 with a run scored and three RBIs.                                                  

Whitworth will play its first conference road games of the season next weekend, facing George Fox in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday. The Pirates will conclude the weekend with a non-conference game at Lewis & Clark next Monday.