The Whitman men’s baseball team extended its excruciating string of losses to 13 games this weekend after falling to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. 7-4 and 11-4 in Saturday’s double header and 7-4 on Sunday, April 11. While the Missionaries’ play was significantly improved from the previous weekend’s steamrolling courtesy of Pacific Lutheran University, Whitman will need to continue to play stronger ball if they hope to break out of their longest losing streak of the season that has sunk their overall record to 3-26 for the season.
Senior pitcher Blaine Mercado, also the team’s RBI leader, was on the mound for the Missionaries at the start of Saturday’s early game. He opened the game with several excellent innings of scoreless ball, scattering four hits across four innings. However, in the fifth the wheels threatened to come off as he opened the inning with a walk and expedited the base runner’s progress with a wild pitch and a passed ball. The Boxers scored two batters later when Lau Hee hit an RBI single to center field. Pacific’s hopes for multi-run rally were squashed when Mercado forced a fly out to close the inning.
Whitman took control of the game in the top of the sixth after poor defensive play and pitch control resulted in a bases loaded walk that was followed by a two-run single from Mercado. However, his elation quickly turned to frustration as he took the mound in the bottom of the inning. The Boxers scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth, rallying past the Missionaries to claim a 5-4 lead they would not relinquish, despite the Missionaries threatening in the ninth.
In the nightcap both teams hit the ball well, combining for 28 hits, but the Boxers were able to turn three inning-ending double plays that kept the Missionaries’ score surprisingly low. Whitman stranded nine runners on the bases, simply failing to get hits when it counted. The stranded runners were a theme throughout the weekend for both teams, but on Saturday night only the Missionaries paid the price. The Boxers 4-0 lead in the fourth stretched to 8-1 by the sixth, and even a late Whitman rally couldn’t keep the score close.
A large early deficit would doom the Missionaries in Sunday’s game as well. Sophomore pitcher Eric Tolleson was shaky early, giving up eight hits and six runs in the first two innings before settling down. In the next four innings Tolleson would hold the Boxer’s scoreless, giving the Missionaries’ bats an opportunity to rally back like Pacific had in Saturday’s first game. Tolleson did his best to help his case at the plate in the fourth, knocking in Whitman’s first run with an RBI single.
As was the case Saturday night, it would be the Boxer’s infield play that secured the game for the home team. Junior Jay Richards and Tolleson started the eighth inning with singles and junior team captain Eric Korsmo was hit by a pitch. Senior Jason Sease then brought in Richards and Tolleson with a single, slicing the Boxers’ lead to 7-4. Once again, however, the Pacific infield turned an inning-ending double play, squashing the Missionaries’ rally. Whitman would not threaten again.
The Missionaries will attempt to end their losing streak in front of their home fans this coming weekend with three winnable games against Willamette University. If Whitman is able to take advantage of more of its scoring opportunities against the 9-18 Bearcats than it did against the University of Pacific, the Missionaries could be celebrating a winning streak after the weekend. The two teams will play a double-header Saturday, April 17, and one game Sunday, April 18; first pitch will be at noon both days.
