McMINNVILLE, Ore. – An 11th-inning solo home run by Whitworth right fielder JT Phelan amounted to the winning run for the Pirates, who snuck past host and top-seeded Linfield 4-3 in an exciting start to the Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament Saturday afternoon at Roy Helser Field.
 
The Wildcats (24-11) outhit the visitors 9-4, owned a 2-1 advantage after a sixth-inning rally and knotted the score in the bottom of the ninth, but missed out on too many scoring opportunities in a close game. Linfield left a total of 10 runners stranded, several in scoring position.
 
Despite yielding a combined seven baserunners, starters Cason Cunningham and Matthew Young maintained a scoreless game through four innings. Whitworth was the first to crack through, scoring once in the fifth on a sacrifice fly. Near consecutive walks and a Garrett Hughes single loaded the bases for Nicholas Nerud, who delivered a one-out fly ball to center field, plating Jordan McGowan for a 1-0 lead.
 
Power hitting helped Linfield seize command in the sixth. Cameron Fox, earning the start in center field in plate of an injured Scott Hilpert, led off with a double. Ben Andrews followed up with another two-bagger, advancing to third on an error, scoring Fox and tying the game 1-1 with zero outs recorded.
 
Ryan Pladson drew a walk and Ryan Ross drilled an RBI single to left, plating Andrews for Linfield's first and only lead of the game. Jared Evans shot another hit to left field, but Pladson was unable to slide safely at home for the go-ahead run, and Young recorded back-to-back outs to end the inning and preserve the 2-2 score. 
 
The Pirates (23-13) regained the lead with a two-run eighth inning. Nerud and Nelson drew leadoff walks, and both advanced into scoring position on a walk. Tyler Bailey supplied a groundout RBI and Phelan drove home another run with a single to right field.
 
Linfield put two runners aboard in the bottom of the frame, but failed to cash in. The same could not be said for the ninth, however. After Dylan Peters registered a 1-2-3 top half of the inning, Jake Gellos drew a leadoff walk and advanced on a Joey Cassano sacrifice.
 
Brady Rediger fired a single to center, plating pinch runner Kekoa Kaulukukui. Andrews nearly brought home the winning run, but Whitworth's third baseman snagged his line drive out of the air and threw back to second for the final out.
 
Linfield managed just one more baserunner the rest of the way, a walk in the 11th inning.
 
T.J. Orchard, who pitched the final two innings for Whitworth, earned the win.
 
NEXT: Linfield plays against at noon Saturday, against the loser of the Friday night game between Willamette and Pacific Lutheran.