by Matt Spencer | Staff Writer
Andrew Goodwin | Sports Editor
The Whitworth baseball team went four for four on the weekend by sweeping Pomona-Pitzer in three game series before defeating Redlands on Monday.
Whitworth (6-1) has won six consecutive games after a season opening loss. This weekend, Whitworth brought offensive firepower scoring 37 runs over the five games.
In the third game of the weekend on Sunday, the Pirates came back in dramatic fashion. The Sagehens took a 6-4 lead into the ninth inning before sound small ball provided three runs and a lead. An infield single, walk and sacrifice fly set up runners on first and third before an error followed by a single and fielder’s choice scored the go ahead run.
On Monday, the offensive onslaught continued in a 12-3 victory over Redlands.
After starting pitcher Tim Bever, ‘19, allowed three runs. In the second inning the Bucs’ offense went to work. After Cody SImmons, ‘20, reached base on an error and advanced on a passed ball, Daniel Casanova, ‘17, drove Simmons in on a single. The following batter, junior shortstop Joel Condreay, drove Casanova in with another single to make the score 3-2 in Redlands’ favor.
While the Pirate threat in the second ended with Condreay’s single, the offense went back to work in the sixth inning. Whitworth started the inning with four straight singles to take a 4-3 lead. Then, with two outs, Nicholas Nerud, ‘19, singled in two more runs to extend the lead to three. The Bucs never looked back. They piled on six more runs in the eighth and ninth innings to expand the lead to its final margin.
For his part, Bever recovered from his tough second inning to post an impressive outing, giving up only those three runs in four innings of work. Brady Simmelink, ‘18, picked the win in relief of Bever. The junior tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only two baserunners and striking out three.
Up next, the Bucs head to Whitman College to take on the Blues. The rivals will play a doubleheader on Feb. 25 and the series finale will be on Feb. 26.
