EUGENE, Ore.  – Tied 5-5 heading into the eighth inning, the Bushnell baseball team couldn't hold off a late charge by Willamette on Wednesday as the Bearcats pulled out a 14-5 non-conference victory at Hamlin Sports Complex.
 
Clocking in at just over four hours, with a 30-minute rain delay mixed into the middle, both teams used their mid-week non-con as a chance to use "Johnny Wholestaff" on the mound. The combatants combined to use 14 different pitchers.
 
For Bushnell, Trenton Hough and Jayden Soriano each had scoreless innings to open the game, followed by David Schwartz with a scoreless fifth. The highlight, however, had to come from Jeff Fripp, who had his first trip to the bump all season and picked up the final four outs, including a pair of strikeouts.
 
Offensively, the Beacons collected 11 hits including multiple-hit days for Noah Montoya, Brandon Reed, and Jacob Richardson. Hitting in the eight-spot, Richardson (pictured) went 3-for-3 and had a sacrifice fly. "I was just excited for the opportunity and was happy the hard word is starting to pay off," said Richardson. "I just kept it simple, taking the adjustments from practice and translated it to the game."
 
Bushnell will stay home this weekend for their next Cascade Collegiate Conference series. The Beacons are currently a half-game behind fourth-place University of British Columbia, who will pay their first-ever visit, beginning at 2:00 pm on Friday and 11:00 am on Saturday.