TYLER, TEXAS -- Falling behind early, the Linfield Wildcats (30-14) couldn't find a way to build off of their hits and chip away at the Centenary lead. The opening game for the Wildcats resulted in a 12-1 loss to the Centenary Gents (35-8) in the first round of the NCAA West Regional under the lights from Tyler, Texas at Irwin Field. High winds and humid conditions made for a typical Texas night.
 
Dropping to the loser's bracket is nothing new to this Linfield club. The 'Cats fell to Whitworth in the first round of the Northwest Conference Tournament only to later come back and earn the trip to Tyler, Texas with an automatic bid to the West Regional.
 
Linfield will play the Rhodes Lynx tomorrow at 1 p.m. PDT in an elimination game for the 'Cats. Rhodes won its opening contest over the tournament hosts and No. 1 seed Texas-Tyler to begin the NCAA West Regional.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Centenary made its presence felt in the following frame. Arguably the best hitting team in the tournament, Centenary plated five runs off of Linfield starter Riley Newman in the second and took an early 5-0 lead.
 
Linfield showed signs of chipping away at the Gents lead in the fourth, scoring its first run of the game. Alex Hendra-Brown reached on a single and scored all the way from first on a double down the third baseline by Jake Gellos. With the score 5-1 momentum was starting to lead toward Linfield.
 
The Gents added to their lead to counter the 'Cats run in the fourth when Cody Crowder sent a single to center to score Andrew Russell from second. Centenary stacked 11 hits through four innings and led 6-1 to show for it.
 
Linfield threatened in the fifth after Brady Rediger and Ben Andrews both reached with singles. Later, the rally was cut short after Kirk was able to force two ground balls from Ryan Pladson and Ryan Ross to end the inning. Despite six hits through five innings Linfield had brought home just one run.
 
Starting most of their offensive rallies with two outs, Linfield struggled to find a clutch hit to trim at the Centenary lead. The 'Cats left nine runners on base and had just two players with multiple hits. Andrews went three for four with a double and a pair of singles to lead the Linfield offense. Rediger supplied two hits in four of his at bats.

For the Gents, Kirk kept the Linfield bats in check all night long. He allowed eight hits over eight innings and struck out five along the way.
 
Centenary added two more runs in the seventh when Cole Lavergne doubled down the line in left. The ball glanced off the glove of Hendra-Brown and trickled into the corner allowing Cameron Guin and Ian Graham to score with two outs.

Guin had a dominant night at the plate knocking in three RBIs on three hits. He also scored two of the 12 runs for the Gents.
 
Newman threw seven innings where he allowed 14 hits and struck out four. All eight of the runs he allowed were earned. With the loss, Newman falls to 9-3 on the season. Taylor Boos took over and tossed the eighth inning for Linfield where he allowed four more runs to come across but only three were earned.
 
Centenary moves on to play Cal Lutheran tomorrow night at 5 p.m. PDT at Irwin Field.
 
NEXT: Linfield will face elimination against the Rhodes Lynx tomorrow beginning 1 p.m. PDT. With a win the 'Cats would advance to play again on Saturday.