Seattle University turned a key triple play to end a Portland scoring threat, and then the Redhawks took advantage of a couple of Pilot mistakes to put together a 5-2 victory Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference collegiate baseball game at Bannerwood Park.
After Seattle U scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead, Portland threatened to either tie the game or take the lead as Cooper Hummel led off the sixth inning with a single and Turner Gill drew a walk. On a 1-2 pitch from Seattle U starter Nick Meservey (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Kevin Wade hit a bouncing ball right at the third base bag, where Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) grabbed it, tagged the bag, and threw it to Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.) at second base, and his relay throw to first baseman Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) beat Wade at first base to complete Seattle U’s first triple play since baseball returned as a varsity sport in 2010.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Andreychuk reached base on a Portland error and stole second base, and Dalton Hurd (Bend, Ore.) drew a walk. Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.) pushed a bunt towards the mound, but Portland pitcher Alex Fisher threw the ball into the left field foul territory, allowing both Andreychuk and Hurd to score and Stober to reach third base. Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) followed with a single up the middle past the drawn-in infield to drive in Stober.
Portland (7-28) put together another scoring chance in the eighth inning, as pinch hitter Eric Sapp drew a walk, Grant Taylor singled, and Hummel drew a walk, all off Redhawk reliever Janson Junk (Federal Way, Wash.). Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.) came on in relief of Junk and induced a double-play grounder from Gill, although Sapp did score on the play. Doyle struck out Wade to end the eighth, and then he retired the Pilots in order in the ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season.
The Pilots struck first in the top of the fifth inning when Cody Lenahan led off with a double, Portland’s first hit of the game, Dan Whittaker followed with a single, and Michael Lucarelli surprised the Redhawk defense with a one-out bunt single that drove in Lenahan. Portland did not score any more runs in the inning, as Meservey retired the next two batters on a groundout and a strikeout.
Seattle U answered in the bottom of the fifth inning, starting when Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.) reached base on a Pilot error and Andreychuk followed with a double to left-center field. Hurd walked to load the bases, and then Olson and Carpenter drew back-to-back walks off Pilot starter Cole Doherty, allowing Peterson and Andreychuk to score on consecutive plays.
Meservey earned his first career victory, retiring the first 11 Pilot batters in order and finishing with five strikeouts in six innings of work. Doherty took the loss, giving up four hits, four walks, and two runs in five innings on the mound while striking out five Redhawk hitters.
Hurd led the Seattle U offense, going 2-for-2 with two walks, one run scored, and a stolen base, while Andreychuk scored twice and Olson drove in two runs. No Portland batter earned more than one hit as the Pilots were held to five hits by the three Redhawk pitchers.
Seattle University (16-15) returns to Western Athletic Conference action Friday, April 10, against New Mexico State starting at 5 p.m. at Bannerwood Park. The league-leading Redhawks will face the Aggies again Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m., with the series finale taking place Sunday, April 12, at 12 noon.