TUCSON, Ariz.- Brian Cromwell opened the Linfield Wildcats season with a bang, hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10^th to secure the 9-8 victory against the Redlands Bulldogs at Kino Stadium on Friday.
 
Linfield got off to a strong start, courtesy of the pitching debut of freshman Cameron Skinner. The right-hander retired the first three hitters he faced in the first innings, before working out of a bases-loaded jam in the second unscathed.
 
In the bottom of the second, Linfield got on the board first. Tanner Earhart reached on an error before David Brosius was walked. Wyatt Smith got the first Wildcat hit of the game to load the bases and freshman Garrett Moen knocked in his first career run batted in. Cody Stevenson followed that up by reaching on a fielders choice scoring Brosius. The bases remained loaded but the 'Cats were held to two runs in the frame.
 
Redlands responded with two runs in the top of the third, both with two outs. With runners on first and third, Skinner struck out Chris Hardin. But Hardin reached first on a passed ball and Cal Bridges scored. Max Smyly had a base hit to knock in the second run of the inning before Skinner retired the side.
 
But the Wildcats got both runs back quickly. A leadoff walk from Ben Whitt and a triple from Tanner Earhart staked the 'Cats to a one run lead before Wyatt Smith hit another single to score Earhart. Cameron Skinner's day ended with a scoreless fourth, with the California native's debut reading four innings pitched with one earned run allowed and four strikeouts.
 
Callan McRae entered the game in the fifth on the mound for Linfield and allowed one unearned run in the inning via another RBI single from Smyly. But the Wildcats got four more runs in the next two innings. An RBI single from Cromwell scored Connor Callanan in the sixth and then Garrett Moen scored David Brosius on a bunt single in the seventh. A wild pitch in the inning allowed Wyatt Smith to score, before a bases-loaded walk of Brian Cromwell pushed across the eighth run for Linfield.
 
Colton Robinson and Samuel Adams combined for three scoreless innings of baseball before trouble arose in the top of the ninth. Redlands scored five runs to tie the game, with five hits and three walks in the inning. Mark Kirkland and Payton Walsh each had doubles in the inning, part of 11 hitters that came to the plate.
 
But the Wildcats didn't give up. After two walks to start the bottom of the ninth, Tanner Jacques executed a sacrifice bunt to move runners up to second and third. Callanan was walked to load the bases before Brian Cromwell knocked a single into center to win the game for Linfield. The walk-off hit was the third in the career of Linfield's starting third basemen after two game-ending homers to begin his Linfield career last year.
 
Cromwell finished 2-4 with three RBI's and two walks. Reigning Northwest Conference honorable mentions Tanner Earhart and Wyatt Smith had two and three hits respectively, as well as one RBI apiece. Earhart scored two runs while Smith added another. Garrett Moen started his Wildcat career with a bang, going one for three with two RBI's and two walks. David Brosius got the win on the mound for Linfield.
 
Max Smyly was the player of the game for Redlands (1-1), going a perfect 4-4 with three RBI's and a run in the losing effort. Chris Hardin took the loss for the Bulldogs, pitching the final two innings of the game and allowing one run.
 
UP NEXT
Linfield (1-0) takes on current No. 1 and defending National Champions Chapman (1-0) in Arizona at the Kino Sports Complex. First pitch is at 9 a.m. PST.