Timmerman homers Warriors to victory over Bearcats
April 24, 2007
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Senior Brett Timmerman collected his first home run of the season -- a game-winning 3-run shot in the top of the ninth inning -- to beat cross-town rival Willamette on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of William Scott Photography) |
SALEM, Ore. -
Senior
Brett Timmerman (Medford, Ore.) hit a game-winning 3-run home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, as Corban's baseball team defeated cross-town rival Willamette, 8-7, on Tuesday at John Lewis Field to extend the Warriors' winning streak to two games.
After going 0-for-4 at the plate, Timmerman came to bat in the top of the ninth inning with a pair of runners on -- freshman Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) and sophomore Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) -- and two outs. With a 1-1 count, Timmerman placed the third pitch that he saw from Bearcat reliever Jimmy Meuel over the right field wall for his first home run of the season to give the Warriors a come-from-behind win.
The Warriors scored first in the second inning when senior Jeremy Frantz (Medford, Ore.) opened the frame with a double to right center before advancing to third via a Timmerman ground out to the Bearcats' pitcher. One batter later, junior Doug Gausepohl (Murrieta, Calif.) brought Frantz home with a single to right field for the game's first run.
Willamette evened the score in the fourth inning when the Bearcats' opening three batters walked before Matthew Rasmussen grounded into a double play that allowed David Tufo to score from third and tie the game at 1-all.
The Bearcats took a 1-run lead (2-1) in the bottom of the sixth inning when Sean Anderson led off the stanza being hit by a pitch before advancing to second via a stolen base. The very next batter -- Grant Yamaguchi -- moved Anderson up ninety feet via a ground out to second before Colin Young brought home Willamette's second run of the game via a sacrifice fly to center field.
In the top of the seventh inning, Corban scored four unearned runs on five hits as junior Darren Johnson (Vancouver, Wash.) opened the inning with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gausepohl. Freshman Zack James (Medford, Ore.) walked putting runners at first and second before the two runners moved up a base when Johnson stole third, but then got caught in a rundown before being forced out at home by the Bearcats' catcher. The very next batter -- sophomore Owen Frasier (Vancouver, Wash.) -- reached via a fielding error by the Bearcats' shortstop that allowed James to score the Warriors' first unearned run. Junior Jamie McGraw (Gaston, Ore.) then reached base via a double to left field before Spicer singled up the middle. The very next batter -- Warner -- repeated McGraw's single and recorded a pair of RBIs before scoring Corban's final unearned run of the inning when Frantz singled to right field and recorded his 24th RBI of the season.
Willamette re-took the lead (6-5) in its half of the seventh inning when the Bearcats scored four runs on three hits, as Tufo, Jack McGee, and Young recorded RBIs. The Bearcats added another run in the bottom of the eighth inning to go up by a pair of scores (7-5) when Anderson singled to right field scoring Kelly Gilmore from third, which set up the ninth inning heroics by Timmerman.
Senior reliever Scott Fitchett (Sandpoint, Idaho) pitched the final 2.2 innings, including a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning, for Corban en route to picking up his team-leading 4th win of the season.
On the afternoon, Johnson led the Warriors' offense with a 3-for-4 performance, while McGraw, Warner, Spicer, and Frantz each registered two hits off Bearcat pitching. Timmerman drove in a game and team-best 3 RBIs, as Warner recorded a pair of runs batted in and two other Warriors -- Frantz and Gausepohl -- had a RBI each.
On the mound, junior starter Jordan Emery (Salem, Ore.) went the first three-plus innings, allowing one earned run on a hit with a game-high tying one strikeout. A quartet of relievers -- sophomore Brandon Wolters (Gresham, Ore.), sophomore Eric Clifford (Fallon, Nev.), freshman Eric Bolden (Kent, Wash.), and junior Scott Flux (Salem, Ore.) -- combined to pitch 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits before turning the ball over to Fitchett, who closed out the come-from-behind win for the Warriors.
For Willamette, six different hitters recorded a base knock off Warrior pitching, as Young tied for game-highs with 3 RBIs. The Bearcat pitching staff was led by Ryan Smith, who went the first 6.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits before handing the ball over to a duo of relievers -- Jimmy Meuel and Kelsey Nakata -- for the final 2.1 innings. Meuel, who suffered his 2nd loss of the season, allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits, while Nakata got the final Warrior out of the afternoon on two pitches.
With the win, Corban's record moves to 12-28-1 overall, while Willamette drops to 17-20 overall. The Warriors will return to the field on Friday, April 27th, when the NAIA's No. 1-ranked Lewis-Clark State travels to Warrior Field for the first time ever for a single nine-inning contest beginning at 4:00 p.m.
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