McMINNVILLE, ORE. – After dropping a rough game one, sophomore Colton Meyer threw a gem in game two with a strong performance from the Linfield Wildcats offense. The Pacific Boxers took game one of the double header 15-3, before the Linfield Wildcats took game two to split the double header, 8-4, at Roy Helser Field on Saturday.
 
GAME 1: Pacific 15, Linfield 3
Andrew Thomas and Tanner Johnson combined for a massive offensive outburst, combining for three home runs in game one for the Boxers. Pacific entered the day leading the conference in the long ball.
 
The Boxers jumped on starter Callan McRae right from the opening at bat. Tyler Quinn doubled to start the game and scored the next at-bat on a Johnson single to make it 1-0 Boxers. The damage could have been worse, if not for an amazing play by center fielder Ben Ranieri to rob a potential home run off the bat of Chase Anderson. The Wildcats center fielder made several gold-glove caliber plays through out the day.
 
Ranieri started the Wildcats half of the first with a single. Brian Cromwell followed that up with a single of his own to put runners on first and third. A sacrifice fly from Tanner Earhart knotted the score up at one.
 
The tie would only last till the third inning, when Pacific dropped an eight spot on the score board. With runners on first and second, a bunt from Johnson was ruled a hit but the attempt to get him out at first led to an error from Cromwell. One run scored on the play and, after a walk, Anderson also walked to push a run across. Another bases loaded walk made the score 4-1 Boxers. A sacrifice fly made it 5-1. Kai Herko came on for McRae and walked the first hit he faced. Thomas struck his first homer of the game, a grand slam to left center to push the Boxer lead to eight.
 
In the fifth, Pacific would strike again via the home run. A one out double det set the stage for Thomas, who hit his second home run of the game to left field. Another single with two outs gave the Boxers a base runner, who scored in the next at-bat as Johnson got the Boxers another two run round-tripper. The Boxers offensive explosion netted the team 13 runs in the first five innings.
 
Another run for the Boxers came in the seventh when Brad Altomare doubled and scored on a single from Garrison Krohn. The ninth inning started in similar fashion with another Altomare double. Substitute Aaron Alexander singled him in to make the score 15-1.
 
The Wildcats made some noise in the bottom of the ninth to give them some momentum going into the second game of the double header, putting two runs across in the final frame. Wildness from the Pacific bullpen in relief of starter Derek Eubanks gave the Wildcats the bases loaded via two walks and a hit by pitch. Cole Hoskins was hit by a pitch, the second of the inning, to get Linfield's second run and a fielder's choice off the bat of Logan Peterson scored the third.
 
Eubanks (2-1) worked seven strong innings for the Boxers, allowing seven hits and one earned run. Last week's Student Athlete of the Week for pitchers in the NWC also had five strike outs.
 
McRae (0-1) allowed six earned runs, giving up three hits and walking four, while striking out one hitter. Herko allowed six runs, all earned and struck out two. Brannan Meriwether provided a bright spot for Wildcat pitchers, working four innings of relief and allowing two earned runs while striking out six.
 
GAME 2: Linfield 8, Pacific 4
Colton Meyer (1-0) gave Linfield exactly what they needed to start the game, working six innings of two-run baseball and struck out eight to get his first win of the season.
 
The 'Cats scored first in this one, all with two outs. With the bases loaded, Cromwell doubled to left field scoring Tanner Jacques and Treve Earhart to make it 2-0 Linfield. Tanner Earhart looked like he was going to end the inning when he hit a chopper to the shortstop Anderson, but an errant throw across the diamond scored two more runs in the frame.
 
Pacific rebounded quickly in the form of their third basemen Thomas once again, who opened the third with a double. Gavin Bullock's lone hit of the game was a double to left field in the next at bat to score Thomas, and the catcher scored in the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 Wildcats.
 
Linfield stole back those two runs in the bottom half of that inning. Wyatt Smith, David Brosius and Levi Horner-Villa all singled off reliever Liam Cammall to load the bases. Cameron Skinner was hit for the first time in the game to force a run across. Treve Earhart flew out to score Brosius and the lead was restored to four.
 
Meyer was big in the fourth for Linfield. After the opening two hitters each reached base and moved into scoring position, the left-hander bared down. Facing Thomas, he induced a ground ball for the first out of the inning. Meer then struck out Bullock before ending the inning with another strike out.
 
In the last two innings, Meyer was dominant. He finished off his day allowing only one of seven hitters to reach base, a walk to Jordan Hara, and struck out three of those hitters.
 
Feeding off the momentum from their starting pitcher, Linfield struck for two more in the bottom of the sixth. Ranieri and Cromwell each singled before the Wildcats scored two more runs with two outs on a Wyatt Smith patented line drive single over the second basemen's head.
 
Samuel Adams (1) was staked to a six run lead out of the bullpen and threw well for his first save of the season. The sophomore worked the final two innings, allowing two runs and striking out two.
 
The two runs came in the top of the ninth, again off the bat of Andrew Thomas. Dylan Morgan's lone hit of the game was a double to center field to set the table for Thomas, who launched his third home run of the day over the left field fence. Adams got the next three hitters to end the game and give the Wildcats their first conference win of the season.
 
Cromwell finished with two hits and two RBIs, while scoring two runs. Wyatt Smith had almost an identical line but finished with one run scored. Cromwell also walked once and David Brosius had two hits.
 
Ranieri reached base twice and scored both times in the leadoff spot. Skinner and Treve Earhart each had an RBI.
 
Tyler Nakata (1-1) took the loss for the Boxers, allowing two earned runs while walking four over two innings of work. Cammall allowed four runs and seven hits over four innings of relief. Andrew Thomas was arguably the player of the day, going 4-10 with 8 RBIs and three home runs on Saturday.
 
UP NEXT
Linfield (5-7, 1-4 in NWC) hosts the rubber match with the Boxers (6-6, 4-1 in NWC) on Sunday at Roy Helser Field. First pitch is scheduled for noon, with coverage on the Linfield Sports Network beginning at 11:45 a.m.