Late Inning Rally Hands Pioneers Home Opening Loss

BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore., - Three runs in the top of the ninth inning handed the Lewis & Clark baseball team its fourth loss of the 2009 season, as the Pioneers fell to Oregon Tech 8-7 on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers slip to 0-4, while Oregon Tech improves to 5-6 on the year.

Oregon Tech outhit the Pioneers 13-11, while both had one error apiece. The game started with Oregon Tech grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the lead would be short lived as the Pioneers had two runners cross the plate in the bottom of the inning. Parker Dane kick-started things for the Pioneers, leading off the inning with a double down the leftfield line before advancing to third on a bunt by Michael Ball. Dane would eventually come around to score. Ball would join Dane on the other side of home after an error on the pitcher allowed Ball and Jordan Wlodarczyk to advance a base.

The third inning saw Oregon Tech tie the game at 2-2, but once again the Pioneers would answer back with a run of their own to recapture the lead. The Pioneers would ride a 6-4 lead into the top of the eighth inning before Oregon Tech squeezed out one run to cut the lead to one run. The Pioneers again answered back with Sam Holman coming around to score to increase the lead back to two.

Everything would crumble around the Pioneers in the ninth inning, as Oregon Tech pulled out three runs to take their first lead of the game. The Pioneers did their best in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead, but would be unsuccessful falling by a final score of 8-7.

Dane ended the day 3-5, scoring three of the teams seven runs. Neal Finch picked up his second home run of the season, on a long shot to left in the fourth inning.

Lewis & Clark returns to the diamond on Feb. 28 hosting Willamette in a Northwest Conference double-header with game one starting at 11 a.m.