PORTLAND, Ore. – After dropping the first two games of their Northwest Conference baseball series to the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Saturday, the Linfield Wildcats rallied to take the third game of the three-game set 8-4 Sunday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex.
Boosted by a five-run fifth inning, the 'Cats plated eight runs after producing just two in as many games a day earlier.
The win puts Linfield at 13-10 and 8-7 in the NWC. With the loss, Lewis & Clark drops to 5-17 and 3-10 in conference play.
How it played out
For the third consecutive game, Lewis & Clark took to an early lead in the first inning. Ryan Ericksen started the scoring when he singled to right center and brought in Chan Vieira and Matt Donovan.
Linfield cut the Lewis & Clark lead in half in the third.
Joey Cassano bunted back to the pitcher, Andrew Yarak, whose errant throw
Brady Rediger to score all the way from first.
The 'Cats took their first lead of the series in the following frame when
Jake Dennis singled to right field and brought in
Jake Gellos.
Daniel Zavala reached on an error allowing Dennis to score. Linfield tagged on two more unearned runs after
Ryan Ross doubled to bring in
Colton Robinson and Rediger, highlighting a five-run fifth inning.
With the lead well in hand,
Alex Hendra-Brown belted his fourth homer of the season to right-center, adding to the Linfield total.
Wildcat pitchers
Carter Buuck,
Dylan Peters and
Matt Strang were all effective against a Pioneers lineup that had held Linfield at bay for most of the series.
The Pios added a run in the sixth and one in the seventh but never threatened to re-take the lead.
Linfield hitters
Linfield totaled nine hits. Hendra-Brown was the only Wildcat hitter with multiple hits. He went 2 for 4, including the home run. Ross had two RBI on his double and went 2 for 5 at the plate. Gellos scored twice on two walks. Rediger also scored two runs and drove in one.
Wildcat arms
Buuck (4-1) earned his fourth win in seven starts. In seven innings, he allowed three earned runs on seven hits and struck out four. Peters came in relief in the eighth. He pitched a clean eighth inning, allowing one hit. Strang was the final Wildcat pitcher to enter. He tossed the ninth, not allowing a single baserunner.
Lewis & Clark at the plate
The Pios offense had eight hits. Matthew Donavan went 2 for four with an RBI and a run scored. Ericksen also went 2 for 4 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs. Sean Shepherd went 1 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Pios Pitchers
Yarak (1-4) got the starting nod for Lewis & Clark. In tossing 3.2 innings, he allowed six runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five. Nathan Richman came in relief in the fourth. He pitched 2.1 innings, surrendering two runs on two hits. Max Haddad completed the last two innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
Next
Linfield travels to Southern California over spring break. The 'Cats play at Chapman in Orange, California, Friday at 5 p.m. Later, Linfield travels to La Verne to play the La Verne Leopards in a three-game series to wrap up the weekend.
