McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield secured its fourth Northwest Conference series sweep and 26th consecutive 20-win season with a doubleheader split against Whitworth Sunday afternoon at Roy Helser Field.

The Wildcats took a 10-4 decision in Game 1 before the Pirates (19-12, 9-11 NWC) claimed a 9-3 victory in the nightcap, which counts toward both teams' overall records but not toward conference standings. The hosts improved to 20-10 overall and 15-5 in league action, maintained a slim lead atop the league standings and captured their 21st 20-win season under longtime head coach Scott Carnahan and continued a streak that has been in place since 1992. 
 
GAME 1: Linfield 10, Whitworth 4
Ben Andrews drilled a three-run homer in the opening frame, and the Wildcats drove in four more runs in the second on back-to-back RBI doubles to seize command early.
 
Cal Neely yielded just one run – a solo bomb from Jordan McGowan in the second – en route to the victory, his fifth of the year. He finished with three strikeouts against seven hits and three walks.
 
Three straight singles, including a Brady Rediger bunt, loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, and Ryan Pladson drilled a two-out double down the left-field line to score two. Ryan Ross followed up with another two-bag hit, pushing the Wildcats' advantage to 7-1.
 
An impressive snag-and-tag at first by Pladson on a line drive denied the Pirates, who had runners on first and third, a prime scoring opportunity in the fifth.
 
Pladson punched a base hit through the right side to plate Joey Cassano in the sixth, breaking a stretch of 3½ scoreless innings for both clubs and putting pressure on Pirates reliever Darren Crosby, who had held Linfield in check to that point after taking the mound in the second. Jared Evans capitalized on a bases-loaded situation with a two-RBI single down the right-field line, pushing the spread to 10-1, but Whitworth prevented more damage with a stellar bare-handed defensive play by shortstop Garrett Hughes.
 
Whitworth cut into the lead in the seventh with their second home run of the day, a two-run shot by Matthew Nelson that followed up Joel Condreay's two-out double. Nate Lamberty capped off the scoring for both teams with an RBI groundout in the eighth.
 
GAME 2: Whitworth 9, Linfield 3
Totaling 12 hits against an adjusted lineup and five different pitchers, Whitworth responded in the nightcap.
 
Hitting around and taking advantage of a leadoff walk and shaky Linfield defense, Whitworth jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one. The Pirates totaled four hits, including RBI hits from Jordan McGowan and Tyler Bailey, and plated two other runs on sacrifice flies.
 
Loading the bases on consecutive leadoff singles from Cameron Fox and Tanner Hoang, plus a drawn walk by Andrews, the Wildcats had plenty of opportunity to dig out of the hole. But the home team pushed across just one run as the Pirates turned a double play and recorded an inning-ending strikeout to preserve a 4-1 advantage.
 
Alex Hendra-Brown led off the second with a double, helping the 'Cats halve the deficit. After advancing to third on a passed ball, the starting left fielder scored on a fielding error, making it a 4-2 game.
 
Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, Linfield again loaded the bases on base hits from Daniel Zavala and Colton Robinson, and perfectly executed bunt from Fox. But again, the 'Cats scored just once as the Pirates wrapped up their defensive inning as they did when facing the same situation in the second: a double play followed by a strikeout.
 
Whitworth pushed the lead back to four, 7-3, on a sacrifice fly and Nelson's solo home run in the sixth. The Pirates scored twice more while limiting the Wildcats to just a single baserunner the rest of the way.
 
COMING UP: Linfield returns to Puget Sound Tuesday evening to make up Game 3 of a Northwest Conference series before trekking to Walla Walla for a three-game set against Whitman. First pitch against the Loggers is set for 3 p.m. in Tacoma.