INTO CONFERENCE PLAY
The Loggers opened their 2008 campaign 2-1 in McMinnville, Ore. this past week with a pair of wins over Concordia (Ore.) and Whitman. This week, the Loggers head east to open NWC play at Whitworth.
The Loggers v. Concordia (Ore.)
Senior Michael Olsen (Niwot) hit the game-winning double in the top of the 11th inning as the Puget Sound Loggers won their 2008 season opener, 9-8, over the Concordia (Ore.) Cavaliers at the Doran Auto Group Spring Classic at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.
The Loggers (1-0) got on the scoreboard in the top of the second when Olsen hit a two-run home run over the left field fence that scored Joe Newland (Tulalip, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck) and gave Puget Sound a 2-0 lead. Following a single Concordia run in the bottom of the inning and three more in the bottom of the third, the Loggers took the lead again in the top of the fourth when Jason Powell (Redwood City, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) hit a three-run dinger to score Olsen and David Thirlby (Seattle, Wash./O'Dea) and give Puget Sound a 5-4 lead.
Concordia evened things up in the bottom of inning and the teams traded runs for the next few innings. Down one run headed into the ninth inning, it was Olsen again playing the hero, hitting a solo home run that tied the game at 8-8 to force the extra frames.
In the 11th, Gregorio Beck (Chico, Calif.) singled to left field to get on base and then advanced to second on a balk, setting up Olsen's game-winning double.
Ryan Gustafson (Bellevue, Wash./Sammamish) earned the win for the Loggers, allowing just two hits in three scoreless innings with one strikeout and one walk. Tom Glassman (Tacoma, Wash./Biola) got the start for Puget Sound, allowing six runs, five of them earned, in six innings pitched with one walk and six strikeouts. Olsen finished the day three-for-four from the plate with four runs scored and four runs batted in. Beck was three-of-six in the number three spot.
The Loggers v. Linfield
After allowing a lone hit in each of the first two innings, the Linfield Wildcats stopped the Puget Sound Loggers dead in their tracks in a non-conference baseball game on Saturday afternoon in McMinnville, Ore.
The Wildcats (4-0) used a big second inning, scoring five runs, to pull ahead of the Loggers (1-1) and the pitching duo of Brian Clark and Ricky Gonzalez allowed just two hits while striking out nine and walking four. Clark earned the win for the Wildcats, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Tim Fogarty (Pacifica, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral) was handed the loss for the Loggers, allowing seven runs, five of them earned, on six hits in five innings pitched. The Loggers got their lone hits from freshmen Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) and Gregg Ringold (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Harker School).
The Loggers v. Whitman
Senior Joe Newland (Tulalip, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck) was two-of-three from the plate, including a two-run blast in the first inning, as the Puget Sound Loggers ran past the Whitman Missionaries, 11-3, in a non-conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon at Roy Helser Field in McMinnville, Ore.
The Loggers (2-1) opened up the scoring in the top of the first when Newland hit a home run to center field to score Michael Olsen (Niwot, Colo.) and give Puget Sound the early 2-0 lead. The Loggers added two more in the top of the second before Whitman added a single run in the bottom of the second and two more in the bottom of the third to cut the UPS lead to just one run.
In the top of the fourth, Shaun Kiriu (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) hit a two RBI single to left field to score Gregg Ringold (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Harker School) and Doug Cox (Kailua, Hawaii/Kalaheo). Cox added to the UPS lead in the fifth, grounding out to second but allowing Newland to score and give UPS a 7-3 lead. Puget Sound added three more in the sixth and one more in the eighth to collect the 11-3 victory.
Dusty Kauflin (Boulder, Colo.) picked up the win for the Loggers, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings pitched. Cameron Duvall (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) pitched four strong innings of relief, allowing just four hits while striking out five to earn the save.
NWC Player of the Week
Michael Olsen had two home runs, a double and four runs batted in for the Loggers, all against Concordia to earn himself the NWC Player of the Week. The big game earned him six walks the over the next two contests. He scored seven runs in three games.
Scouting Whitworth
Whitworth enters this weekend with a record of 1-5, with the lone win coming against Lewis-Clark State. Offensively, the Pirates are led by senior Jon Whiteside. Whiteside, hitting at a .333 mark, has seven hits and four runs-batted-in this season. Chad Flett, also a senior for the Pirates, picked up Pirates only win. Flett has struck out eight batters in 11.0 innings of work.
Games Moved to Idaho
Due to heavy snow in Spokane, this weekend's NWC opening series has been moved to Lewiston, Idaho. It is still yet to be determined whether the games will be played at Lewis-Clark State College or Lewiston High School.
The Coach
Logger Head Coach Brian Billings returns for his sixth season at the helm. A 1999 graduate of Puget Sound, Billings holds an 89-99-1 record as the Loggers' lead man.
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