SALEM, Ore. –  Timely, late-inning hitting propelled the Linfield Wildcats to a 9-7, 10-inning game one victory before fantastic pitching highlighted Sunday's game two victory over the Willamette Bearcats, 6-2.
 
Offensively, Brian Cromwell and Levi Horner-Villa were standouts for Linfield. Colton Meyer and Callan McRae were two of Linfield stars on the mound at John Lewis Field in Salem.  
 
 
GAME 1: Linfield 9, Willamette 7
 
Willamette drew first blood in this one, scoring four runs off of three hits in the bottom of the third. A leadoff walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases for the Bearcats. Ethan Fischel doubled into the gap in right-center to clear the bases. Two consecutive sacrifices would score Fischel to make the score 4-0.  
 
The four runs were the only blemishes against Linfield starter Colton Meyer. The sophomore worked five innings and struck out eight hitters, tying his season-high from his start on February 29^th against Pacific.
 
The Wildcats offense would stay quiet until the sixth. Tanner Jacques doubled for his seventh extra-base hit of the season with one out. After a strike out, Levi Horner-Villa singled up the middle to score Jacques and make the score 4-1.
 
Bearcats pitcher Benjamin Whitten was pulled in the top of the seventh and the Wildcats quickly got to work on reliever Nathan Billings. Garrett Moen walked before Brian Cromwell doubled into the left-field corner to put two runners into scoring position. Both runners would move up another 90 feet on the ensuing wild pitch to put Linfield down two.
 
Two more walks in the inning would load the bases for pinch hitter Cameron Skinner. With two outs, the freshman was hit by a pitch to force in a run and make the score 4-3. Willamette quickly took the run back in the bottom of the seventh on a Tyler Vandemark RBI single.
 
In the eighth inning the Wildcats tied the game up. Treve Earhart singled and advanced to second with one out. Brian Cromwell's great day continued with his lone RBI coming on a single up the middle to make the score 5-4.
 
With the bases loaded once again, the cleanup hitter Ben Ranieri came up with two outs. A single found its way into right field to score the second run in the inning and the game was tied for the first time since 0-0.
 
Both teams had chanced to take the lead before extras. The Bearcats threatened with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth before Samuel Adams worked out of a jam. Horner-Villa doubled in the ninth with one out before Willamette got two outs to end the effort.
The break-through came in the tenth. Cromwell's fifth hit of the game in six at-bats got Linfield a leadoff baserunner and Brosius followed with another hit up the middle to put two runners on. Both runners moved up on a groundout and Ranieri was intentionally walked.
 
Two new faces this season for Linfield struck, with Tanner Jacques singling into the outfield to score two runners. Skinner put a ball right back up the box that allowed Ranieri to score from second base. The fourth and final run of the inning came on an error from third base, allowing Jacques to score and putting Linfield on top 9-5.
 
Adams was replaced in the bottom half of the inning by Brannan Meriwether after a walk and double made the score 9-6.
 
Joey Faudskar moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored shortly after on a Fischel sacrifice fly. But two outs to the center fielder secure the win for Linfield.
 
Adams (2-0) gets the win with two innings of relief for the Wildcats. The five-hit game was the first in Cromwell's career as a member of the purple and cardinal. Jacques, Horner Villa and Treve Earhart each had two hits.
 
Pruitt Spritzer (1-3) took the loss, allowing four runs and three earned in one inning of relief. The starter Whitten threw well enough to get a win, going six innings and allowing one run.
 
GAME 2: Linfield 6, Willamette 2
 
Levi Horner-Villa continues to get it done with the bat in the last few games for Linfield. After Jacques walked to begin the top of the second, the right fielder unloaded on a pitch from starter Dawson Enright and put it over the fence in right field to make it 2-0, Wildcats.
 
The Bearcats scratched one back in the bottom half of the inning off starter Wyatt Smith. A lead-off doubled was followed by a Smith strikeout and a fly out to left. But Vandemark doubled into a gap to score the first run for Willamette.
 
Smith led off the third with a vengeance. The two-sport star hit his first home run, and the Wildcats second of the game, to make it 3-1.
 
Callan McRae (1-1) entered for the Wildcats in the third and was magnificent over the next four and two-thirds innings. The junior allowed two hits while facing 15 batters in the appearance, only one over the minimum. The outing was the longest of the left hander's career.
 
Horner-Villa had more damage to do with the stick in the fifth. Ranieri reached on a hit by pitch and Horner Villa hit his second homerun of the game to put Linfield up four. The long balls were the first on the season for Horner-Villa and now had 13 in his career.
 
The senior was in the middle of the Wildcats scoring in the sixth after a walk and Jacques single. An error by the first basemen allowed Smith to score from second and the Wildcats had the 6-1 lead.
 
The Bearcats could only muster five hits in the game, with one coming off Cameron Skinner in his two innings of relief. Skinner struck out the first hitter to step into the box and a pop out for two quick outs. Sean Little homered to get Willamette a second run.
 
The freshman Skinner retired the next four hitters he faced to get Linfield their first conference series win of the season. Skinner struck out three hitters in the game.
 
Horner-Villa ended the game 4-5 with four RBIs. In 12 games this season, Levi is hitting .350 and has hits in six of his last 11 at-bats (.545). David Brosius had two hits in the game and has had at least one hit in eight of his last nine games. Smith allowed two hits and struck out two in two and a third innings on the mound.
 
Enright (0-3) took the loss, allowing two runs in two innings of pitching. Wagner allowed one unearned run in four and third innings of relief for Willamette (9-9, 5-4 in NWC).
 
UP NEXT
Linfield (7-9, 3-6 in NWC) returns home to take on cross-county rivals George Fox (11-4, 7-2 in NWC). The Bruins are coming off two straight losses to the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark. First pitch of Saturday's double header is at noon.