WHITTIER, Calif. – Pacific posted a season-high 20 runs in the first game of the day and cruised to a comfortable 9-3 victory in game two, sweeping the doubleheader over Whittier on Saturday afternoon.
The Boxers’ 20-run performance marks their best offensive display since 2016. Pacific (19-10, 11-7 NWC) collected a season-high 23 hits and extended their win streak to four games after taking both games and clinching the series win.
Ryan Krout (Senior/Washougal, Wash.) hit three doubles on the afternoon and reached a milestone as he set a new Pacific record for the most career doubles. Krout has now registered 42 doubles in his career, passing Kaeo Lau Hee (2007-10) and Walker Olis (2013-16) who tallied 40 doubles each in their careers.
Andrew Thomas (Senior/Escondido, CA) had a monster day at the plate, blasting two home runs and racking up six RBI in his 4-for-7 performance at the plate. Damon Tanner (Sophomore/El Dorado Hills, CA) enjoyed a four-hit game, scoring three runs in the first half of the doubleheader.
Filling in at third base and impressing with a breakthrough performance was Nolan McNeill (Senior/San Tan Valley, AZ), who went 3-for-4 with a double and four runs scored.
Isaac Lovings (Senior/Beaverton, OR) picked up four RBI while going 2-for-3 in game one.
Game 1
Seven of the nine starters recorded a multi-hit game in the first contest of the day as the Boxers banged out a season-high 23 hits.
Pacific got started early with seven runs in their first turn at the plate. Tanner laced a two-bagger in the gap to score one run and Krout followed with an RBI-single to double the lead. Lovings then stepped to the plate and launched a three-run bomb, his seventh of the year. The Boxers were not done yet, as Thomas smacked a two-run shot to cap off the seven-run inning.
Two innings later, Thomas blasted his second long ball of the game, another two-run homer to make the score 9-0.
Six runs in the top of the fourth extended the lead to double digits. Six hits, including four extra-base hits from Tanner, Krout, Lovings, and Thomas would spark the rally and put Pacific out of sight. Two more RBI base hits from Elijah Gonzalez (Sophomore/Covina, CA) and Tyler Quinn (Junior/Mililani, HI) made it 15-0 after four frames.
The Red and Black tacked on two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and one more in the seventh to eclipse the 20-run mark, making it their best offensive performance since 2016.
Will Clark (Junior/Boise/ID) made it 21 consecutive scoreless innings before the Poets finally scored in the sixth. The southpaw still put together an excellent outing, earning the complete-game victory after his seven innings of work. Clark surrendered just two earned runs and six hits while fanning five batters, improving to 5-1 on the season.
Game 2
Kahi Bisho (Senior/Honolulu, HI) got the nod in game two and he cruised through five innings to eventually earn his second win of the season. The senior struck out four and allowed just three hits in his outing.
A single from Jordan Hara (Senior/Aiea, HI) opened the scoring in the second game of the twin bill, scoring Cole Strober (Senior/Pacific City, OR). Whittier equalized in the home half of the inning but the Boxers rallied for three runs in the third to restore their advantage.
Krout roped a double in the left-center gap to push two runs across before Patrick Muskat (Redshirt Freshman/Beaverton, OR) left the yard, making it a 4-1 ballgame.
Pacific drew three walks and needed just one hit to scratch three runs in the top of the fifth. The Poets got two runs back in the seventh but Lovings drove home a couple more runs in the ninth to give the Boxers a much-needed cushion.
Tyler Agnew (Junior/Folsom, CA) and Davis Koester (Sophomore/Trout Lake, WA) cleaned things up, pitching two innings each to shut the door. The duo combined for just one earned run over four innings, preserving the lead to clinch the series win.
Up Next
The Boxers go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon in the series finale. First pitch at Hugh B. Mendez Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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