TACOMA, Wash. – After overcoming an early deficit, the Linfield Wildcats' struggles in the eighth inning versus the Willamette Bearcats cost the club an early trip to the winners' bracket at the Northwest Conference Tournament Friday afternoon. Linfield dropped a hard-luck decision to Willamette, falling 6-3 at PLU Field.
The loss drops Linfield into the losers' bracket for the second straight season. This time, the 'Cats face Pacific Lutheran in an elimination game Satuday beginning at 10 a.m.
How it played out
Willamette got on the board with its first opportunity. A leadoff double off the bat of Perry Van Eckhardt dropped in between fielders
Cameron Fox,
Alec Cook and
Joey Cassano. Van Eckhardt later scored on a Connor Bailey RBI single down the left-field line.
Linfield plated its first two runs in the fifth. Cook slapped a single through the right side and was later moved to third base on a successful hit-and-run off the bat of Cassano. A fielder's choice by
Brady Rediger brought in Cook. Later,
Ryan Ross hit a hot ground ball under the diving glove of Willamette first baseman Eric Del Prado to score Cassano.
In the next inning, Linfield took its first lead of the game.
Jake Gellos was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before
Jake Dennis flared a singled down the right field line. That brought home
Jake Gellos, giving Linfield a 3-2 lead.
In the eighth, Natuzzi singled into left field, allowing Connor Bailey to score to make it 3-3. Bailey reached on a single earlier in the frame.
A fielder's choice to Cassano with runners on second and third with one out was stuffed at home plate by Gellos, who tagged out Tyler Vandemark on a close play at the plate.
Willamette grabbed the lead for good on a bases-loaded single to right by Tyler Janitz. Brendan Natuzzi scored from third. Making matters worse for the Wildcats, Del Prado and Igarashi came in when the throw home from Ross deflected off of Gellos and rolled into the Bearcats' dugout. The fluke play pushed Willamette to a 6-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth.
Bearcats starter Matt Steindorf continued his dominant performance, and finishing off the Wildcats in order over the final two innings.
Linfield in the box
Linfield totaled six hits. Cook led all Wildcat hitters with a 2-for-3 performance. He also scored a run. Dennis had one RBI on his single to right. Ross went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
Wildcat arms
Cason Cunningham started and tossed the first 3.1 innings. He struck out four and allowed two hits, including the first two Willamette runs.
Dylan Peters came on in relief and was charged with the loss, falling to 2-2. He finished the inning and went on to throw four strong innings, striking out two and allowing three hits. Leaving for
Matt Strang with the runners on first and second, Peters was charged with three runs, two of them earned. Strang finished the eighth and went on to toss the top of the ninth, allowing one run and one hit.
Bearcats at the plate
The Bearcats matched the Wildcats with six hits. Leading the club as the only hitter with multiple hits was Bailey who went 2 for 5 with an RBI and one run scored. Natuzzi went 1 for 3 with one run and an RBI. Janitz led all hitters with two RBI.
Willamette on the mound
Dominant from the mound, Steindorf (9-3) earned the complete game win. The first team all-NWC pick tossed nine innings where he surrendered six hits, three runs and struck out six.
Tournament At A Glance
Friday Results
George Fox 7, Pacific Lutheran 6
Willamette 6, Linfield 3
Saturday Schedule
Game 3: Pacific Lutheran vs. Linfield, 10 a.m.
Game 4: George Fox vs. Willamette, 1 p.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 4 p.m.
Sunday Schedule
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 noon
Game 7 Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, (if necessary) 3 p.m.
