Area roundup: Whitman unleashes offensive display in baseball doubleheader sweep at Whitworth

Tyler Lewis, Joseph Zimmer and Lucas Thrun all had five hits on the day, powering visiting Whitman to a 12-10, 12-4 Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader sweep at Merkel Field on Tuesday.

The Blues (12-12, 7-4) stormed ahead 11-0 after 5 1/2 innings in the second game. Kyle Reisman’s two-run homer capped a four-run first; Lewis added a two-run shot in the second; and Anthony Lin hit a solo homer in the fourth for an 8-0 lead.

JT Phelan of the Pirates (10-12, 5-6) hit a three-run homer in the sixth.

In the opener, Whitman built a 10-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings and withstood the Pirates’ furious rally. Matthew Sox had an RBI single during the Blues’ five-run first and a two-run single during their four-run second.

Cody Simmons’ three-run double highlighted Whitworth’s five-run fourth. The Pirates cut the deficit to 10-9 in the eighth but surrendered two runs in the top of the ninth to trail 12-9.

Simmons had an RBI single in the ninth, but the Pirates grounded into a game-ending double play with runners at the corners.

The doubleheader had been rescheduled from Feb. 24.