McMINNVILLE, Ore. – After extending their winning streak to three games the Linfield Wildcats split Sunday's doubleheader with the Pacific Lutheran Lutes at Roy Helser Stadium. The 'Cats took game one with a 6-3 victory before falling 7-2 in game two.
GAME ONE
Colton Meyer threw another strong four innings in the win for Linfield. The sophomore allowed three hits and an unearned run while striking out three. Meyer has now thrown eight and two-thirds innings in 2020 and has only allowed two runs.
Pacific Lutheran threatened early in the first. Meyer opened the game with a strikeout, but the bases were then loaded with two outs via two walks and a base hit. The second strikeout of the game was clutch for Meyer, as he ended the inning by sitting down Jordan Haworth.
The top of the third inning again brought runners in scoring position. A single and a walk got two runners on, before a passed ball would move each up another 90 feet. But Meyer again tight-roped out of danger, forcing a fly ball from Ashton Barton to end the inning.
The offense got going for both teams in the fourth inning. Haworth led off with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch by Meyer. An error by Meyer on a pickoff attempt moved up Haworth to third, and a sacrifice fly from Kenton Robillard got the Lutes on the board.
After a slow start for the Linfield offense, the bats finally started going in the bottom half of the fourth.
David Brosius walked with one out and advanced to second on a ground out from
Wyatt Smith.
Levi Horner-Villa stroked a double down the left field line to quickly knot the score up at one.
In the fifth, Linfield tacked on to their lead.
Cody Stevenson doubled down the left field line and
Ben Ranieri bunted to give himself up. But, Ranieri would beat out the bunt for a single and Stevenson moved up to third on the play.
Ben Whitt hit the second double of the inning to knock in both runner and give Linfield the 3-1 lead. Whitt moved up to third with one out but
Tanner Earhart and Brosius were unable to convert and the inning was over.
More two out hitting from Pacific Lutheran would get them a run back in the sixth. Reliever
Dakota Carter struck out Robillard for the second out of the inning. With runners on first and third, Garrett Wong singled to center to score a run.
Colton Robinson would come on to record the final out of the inning and squash the threat. Carter (1-0) only allowed the one run in relief and allowed three hits. The win was the first of his career at Linfield.
The substitute Ranieri singled to start the seventh. Back-to-back singles from
Tanner Jacques and Earhart got the Wildcats another run.
David Brosius would hit into a fielder's choice and scored Earhart before stealing second. Smith doubled to center to finish off the three run inning for Linfield, making the score 6-2.
Pacific Lutheran made some noise in the top of the eighth to get another run on the board. The Wildcats relief pitchers did a great job of holding onto the lead, only allowing two runs in the final five innings.
Colton Robinson and
David Brosius combined for three and a third innings of one hit baseball out of the 'pen.
Ranieri and Ben Whit had two hits apiece offensively for Linfield. Whitt had four RBIs and four other wildcats each had an RBI each.
King Jimenez-Cruz had two hits to lead the Lutes. Noah Ferguson (0-1) took the loss, working four innings and striking out five. Ferguson allowed three runs and reliever Andrew Curran also allowed three runs over four innings.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the doubleheader, Pacific Lutheran would score multiple runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to jump out in front. Jimenez-Cruz grounded out to knock in the first run of the game off starter
Caden Slaughter. Haworth singled to center to score another in the inning.
Two more runs would come across for the Lutes in the fourth. Robillard singled and Tori Doten scored on the error by left fielder
Tanner Earhart. Jimenez- Cruz was again involved in the Lutes scoring, reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Robillard. A bases loaded walk from reliever
Callan McRae forced in a run in the fifth. Cameron Clem singled in two runs to wrap up the inning.
Tanner Earhart produced the first run of the game for Linfield in the sixth. The left fielder hit his second homerun of the season with the bases empty to get the Wildcats on the board.
Logan Peterson doubled and Smith was hit by a pitch. Horner-Villa singled in Peterson for the second run.
Alex Gregory worked the last three and a third innings of relief to pick up his first save of the season. He struck out five without allowing a run to end the game for the Lutes. Tommy Snyder (1-0) got the win, working five and a third, allowing one run.
Caden Slaughter (0-1) takes his first loss of the season, allowing two runs over three innings.
Brannan Meriwether pitched scoreless baseball over his three innings of relief.
Cameron Skinner and
Tanner Earhart each had three hits for Linfield.
Ben Ranieri had two hits, as well as Horner-Villa.
UP NEXT
The Northwest Conference schedule opens for Linfield (4-3) with with three games on the road next Saturday and Sunday against reigning conference champions Whitman (1-6). First pitch of the doubleheader on Saturday is a noon.
