McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Under sunny skies and with nearly 200 fans in attendance, the Linfield Wildcats clinched the final game of the three-game Northwest Conference baseball series over the Puget Sound Loggers, 6-3.
Stellar pitching by
Cason Cunningham and
Ethan Jones, combined with 14 hits from the Linfield offense, made for a wire-to-wire victory for the 'Cats over the Loggers.
Winners of two of three games in the series, Linfield moves to 12-8 overall on the season, 7-5 in the NWC. Puget Sound falls to 9-6 overall and 3-4 in the NWC.
Linfield trails third place George Fox by one game in the conference standings. Whitworth (5-1) and Pacific Lutheran (6-2) currently pace the NWC.
How it played out
Linfield struck first, thanks to a second-inning home run off the bat of
Alex Hendra-Brown, his third of the season. The 'Cats added another run in the next inning when
Brady Rediger drove in
Alec Cook from second base on a single up the middle.
With the Wildcats leading 2-0, Cunningham enjoyed more than enough run support through the first four innings. The lefty didn't allow a Puget Sound base runner until the fifth when Rica Barraza singled to left.
Tagging on two more runs in the fifth, Linfield doubled its lead.
Ryan Ross smacked a single to left field that scored Rediger. Later,
Cameron Fox hit a single to center that brought in
Joey Cassano from second.
The Loggers got on the board in the sixth. Kyle Strash doubled to right over the head of Ross to bring in Cal Muramaru and Jake Briscoe. The next batter, Corey Roberts, slapped a ball to right that was dropped, allowing Strash to score and bringing the Loggers within one, 4-3.
Linfield would rally when Rediger sent a sacrifice fly to right that brought in
Daniel Zavala from third in the bottom of the frame. The 'Cats then tacked on one more run in the seventh as Cook lined a sacrifice fly into left-center that brought home Fox, pushing the lead to 6-3.
Adding to their lead late, Linfield scored four runs in the ninth, highlighted Hendra-Brown's double that scored Ross and
Jake Gellos.
Puget Sound pushed two runs across in the ninth but Linfield went on win 10-5 to take the series, 2-1.
Linfield in the box
The 'Cats outhit the Loggers 15-4. Hendra-Brown led all Wildcat hitters with three RBI, going 3 for 4 with one run scored. Fox hit 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Jake Dennis continues to build on his NWC-best batting average. The senior outfielder went 2 for 4 at the plate.
Wildcat arms
Cunningham (5-1) threw the first 5.2 innings, allowing just three runs (two earned) with four hits and seven strikeouts. Cunningham did not walk a batter and earned the win.
Matt McDonald tossed a clean 1/3 of an inning in relief of Cunningham. Jones threw two-plus innings and left in the ninth. He struck out three did not allow a Logger hit but was charged with two runs.
Taylor Boos was the final Wildcats pitcher to throw, limiting the damage in the ninth. He did not allow a run to his name and struck out Jake Briscoe looking to end the game.
Loggers at the plate
Four Loggers collected hits in the game. Strash produced two RBI and went 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Ryan Moyes knocked in the other RBI but went 0 for 4 in the box.
Puget Sound on the mound
Jack Brennan (2-2) started for the Loggers and threw the first six innings. He allowed five runs on nine hits. Andrew Matsueda came out of the bullpen and threw one inning where he gave up one run on one hit and walked two. Taylor Scarvie was the final pitcher used by the Loggers. The lengthy right-hander threw one inning but surrendered four runs on three hits.
Next
Linfield heads to Portland next weekend to face the Lewis & Clark Pioneers. Doubleheader action starts at noon on Sunday from the Huston Sports Complex.
