SPOKANE, Wash. – Picking up where they left off after darkness delayed the completion of the Northwest Conference series' second game, the Linfield Wildcats trounced the Whitworth Pirates at Merkel Field on Sunday, completing their first three-game sweep of the season. The Wildcats outhit the Pirates 32-21, winning by scores of 9-3 and 13-0.
With the road sweep, Linfield moved to 19-14 overall and 11-8 in the NWC. Whitworth dropped to 14-18 overall, 9-12 in the NWC.
Entering the final weekend of conference play, the Wildcats control their own playoff fate. Linfield sits three games back of league leader Pacific Lutheran with both teams battling for the right to host the four-team NWC tournament.
GAME 2: Linfield 9, Whitworth 3, completion of suspended
Racing to an early 5-0 lead through four innings, the Wildcats were well in control. Run-scoring hits by
Cameron Fox,
Jared Evans and
Brady Rediger put Linfield in front 3-0. Later,
Daniel Zavala gave Linfield the commanding 5-0 lead after he hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot that brought in
Jake Dennis.
Whitworth threatened in the fourth and fifth innings, pushing all three of its runs across in that span. A single by Nicholas Nerud scored Trevor Poffenrot. Spencer Locati drove home two runs on a RBI single to right-center field.
With Linfield leading 5-3,
Colton Robinson gave the 'Cats another three-run lead when a throwing error by Tim Beaver sailed wide and allowed Dennis to score for the second time.
The 'Cats pulled away with two more runs in the seventh. Zavala reached on an error that scored Fox.
Alec Cook singled to center and Zavala came around to score later in the inning, pushing Linfield to the eventual 9-3 win.
Linfield at the plate
Zavala led all Linfield hitters with three RBI on 1 for 1 hitting. He scored twice and walked once. Cook had two RBI, going 1 for 2. Fox had an RBI on 1 for 3 hitting with two walks.
Joey Cassano also also walked twice had was 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Wildcat arms
Cal Neely (3-5) had a strong outing as the Wildcats starter. He threw seven innings, giving up one earned run and striking out six on Saturday. When play resumed on Sunday,
Kameron Walker tossed the final two innings. He allowed no runs on two hits.
Pirate hitters
Whitworth outhit Linfield 9-7. The Bucs saw three players collect multiple hits. Casey Isa went 2 for 2 with a run scored. J.T. Phelan went 2 for 4 and Tyler Bailey also went 2 for 4. Locati led the team with two RBI on 1 for 4 hitting.
Whitworth from the mound
Brady Simmelink (3-2) threw the first five innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits and striking out three. Tim Beaver, Jake Briones and Bradley Tiefenthaler combined to throw the final four innings. Beaver was the only of the three that allowed a run (three) on two hits.
GAME 3: Linfield 13, Whitworth 0
Linfield used the long ball to produce its first two runs. Zavala homered for the second time in as many days to make it 2-0 and
Ryan Ross sent his sixth homer over the wall in the third to make it 5-0.
The Wildcats plated seven runs in the third inning to take the wind out of the Pirates' sails. After three innings, the 'Cats led 9-0.
Ross added two RBI in the fifth when he singled to score Rediger and Zavala. Cook tagged on two more in the ninth to bring home
Ben Ranieri and
Wyatt Smith to complete the three-game sweep.
Carter Buuck had another healthy start on the mound. He fired five innings of one-hit ball, silencing the Pirates bats early on.
Linfield hitters
Linfield totaled 17 hits to the Pirates' five. Five Wildcats collected multiple hits, led by Ross who went 3 for 5 with five RBI and a run scored. Zavala went 2 for 3 with a team-high three runs scored and three RBI. Cook added three hits to the mix, going 3 for 5 with two RBI. Rediger was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Wildcat pitching staff
Buuck (6-2) fanned four Pirates, allowed one hit and did not walk a batter in six innings of work.
Matt Strang threw the next three frames, holding Whitworth to two hits and striking out three.
Taylor Boos finished the game by throwing the ninth. He gave up two hits and struck out one to cap the quality outing by the Linfield arms.
Pirates at the plate
Joel Condreay went 3 for 3 at the plate and was one of five Pirates to reach base safely. Locati had a hit and walked once. Nerud collected the other hit, going 1 for 4 at the plate.
Whitworth arms
Starter Matthew Young (3-5) was touched up early. He went 2.2 innings, surrendering eight runs on seven hits. T.J. Orchard finished the game, allowing 10 hits and five runs over 6.1 innings.
Next
Linfield returns to Roy Helser Field for the final time in the regular season as the 'Cats meet the third-place Whitman Blues for a three-game series. Action starts at noon Saturday with a doubleheader with the final game coming Sunday, also at noon.
