HILLSBORO, Oregon – Whitworth University split a non-conference baseball doubleheader versus Corban University on Saturday at Ron Tonkin Field. The Pirates dropped the opener 9-2, but bounced back to beat the Warriors 8-5 in the nightcap.
Whitworth moves to 2-4 on the year, and will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with the single game rubber-match.
Game 1 – Corban 9, Whitworth 2
The Warriors were able to punch across five runs in the bottom of the 3rd after facing an early 1-0 deficit. Pirates showed signs of life in the top of the 7th when they tallied a single run, cutting Corban's lead to 5-2. Warriors retaliated with two runs in each of the last two frames.
Aaron Clogston gave the Bucs' an early lead with an RBI single in the top of the first inning. The Bucs' offense went scoreless until the seventh frame when Blake Barret doubled to left center. Barret advanced to third on a wild pitch and Hunter Dryden was able to knock him in with a sacrifice fly to left field. Six Pirates recorded a hit, nobody having more than one.
Giovanni Costello started on the hill for the Pirates and allowed seven runs on eight hits through 6.2 innings. Aidan Smith threw one scoreless inning in relief allowing no hits.
Nate Martin got the win for the Warriors, going six innings while only giving up one earned run and three hits. The Warriors offense was led by Elijah Marris and Kyle Clay. Clay went 2-2, including a two RBI triple. Marris went 2-4 with a double and three RBI's.
Game 2 – Whitworth 8, Corban 5
The Pirate offense in game two was a team effort, as every player in the lineup recorded a hit. Riley Cissne highlighted the game, going 2-5 with two RBI's. The Whitworth offense scored in each of the first five innings.
Austin Paul and Dawson Warner started the game with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice bunt from Riley Cissne allowed Paul and Warner to advance a base. Paul scored on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Zac Tincher allowed Warner to score from third. The Pirates increased the lead 4-0 in the top of the second when they tallied two more runs, a byproduct of an RBI single from Cissne and Warner scoring on a wild pitch.
Corban scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the second when Aidan Bunn hit an RBI single with runners on first and second.
Pirates were able to score a single run in each of the next three frames, including an RBI triple from Elijah Tanner and a sacrifice fly from Clogston. The Warriors added single runs in the third and fifth, making the score 7-3.
Corban added another run in the seventh when Clay singled to center field after Brian Landon had singled and stole second base, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
Pirates added their last run of the evening on Tincher's RBI triple in the eighth. Whitworth was able to close out the game after giving up one more run to the Warriors in the bottom of the ninth.
Dylan Bishop went four innings, only giving up one run on two hits. Hunter Williams followed, allowing two runs on five hits through an additional four innings. Riley Whelan allowed the single run in the ninth.
