MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – In the final day of the series against the Northwest Conference leading Whitman Blues, the Linfield Wildcats fell in both ends of the doubleheader on Saturday at Roy Helser Field. Blues took the first game by a score of 7-3 and sealed the series with an 8-1 win in game two.
 
GAME 1: Whitman 7, Linfield 3
The Blues and the 'Cats split the first two games of the weekend and were tied through four in game one on Saturday. Brett Williams broke the tie with a single that scored Leo Rivera in the fifth.
 
The Wildcats put together a nice inning in the bottom of the fifth to plate two. Garrett Moen scored on an RBI base hit by Chase Elliott, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Earhart.
 
Whitman came right back to tie the game in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Nakamura that scored Teague Conder. The Blues retook the lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by Ben Parker and added two more in the seventh. First came off the bat of Williams on a sac bunt that scored Jerick Nomura. Garrett Runyan drove in Beck Maguire to make it 6-2.
 
Maguire picked up an RBI in the eighth on a sacrifice fly. Ben Ranieri drove in Linfield's third run of the game in the bottom of the eighth, a sacrifice fly that scored Tanner Jacques.
 
Jackson Horner had two of the six hits for the Wildcats.
 
Grant Knox started the game for the Wildcats, he gave up three runs in 5.1 innings on two strikeouts and five hits. He was credited with the loss. Jarrett Allen gave up an earned run in 1.2 innings, Evan Bates gave up an unearned run in two innings of work.
 
Billy Wall was the winning pitcher, he pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run. He gave up five hits and six walks. Elliot Puttkammer-Saxen tossed 2.2 innings and Travis Craven pitched a shutout ninth.
 
GAME 2: Whitman 8, Linfield 1
Whitman scored the first seven runs of the game in game two against Linfield, who went with a bullpen game with Callan McRae on the bump to start the game.
 
In the first, Parker drove in Williams to make it 1-0 via an RBI single. Runyan brought home Williams in the third via a sacrifice fly. Parker picked up his second RBI of the game in the third, driving in Conder and scored on a single by Ethan Sitzman.
 
Drew Vannaman drew a bases loaded walk to make it 5-0 in the top of the third. Nakamura collected two RBIs on a single that scored Runyan and Conder.
 
The Wildcats' lone run of the game came in the fourth, an RBI single by Wyatt Smith that scored Mike LaVigne.
 
Runyan hit a solo home run in the sixth for the final run of the weekend.
 
Moen batted in the leadoff spot and had two hits. Bodey Smith had his first career start. Andrew Grenz made his first career appearance and collected a hit in his first career at-bat.
 
Julien Hernandez started the game for the Blues and picked up the win after tossing six innings, giving up a run on six hits, two walks and a strikeout. Jake Larson pitched a shutout seventh inning.
 
For the Wildcats, McRae, Cameron Skinner, Gavin Ludlow, Cody Stevenson, Colton Meyer and Skyler Manelski pitched in the game. Stevenson tossed two shutout innings. McRae got the loss.
 
The Wildcats are now 5-17 overall this season and 3-11 in Northwest Conference play, the Blues are 12-8 overall and 9-3 in NWC play.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are off next weekend, before heading up to Forest Grove to take on the Pacific Boxers on April 17-18.