MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Trailing 7-0 after two innings, the Pacific Lutheran Lutes rallied back to beat the Linfield Wildcats, 8-7 in game two of a doubleheader at Roy Helser Field on Saturday afternoon. The Lutes took the first game by a score of 10-3 earlier in the day.
GAME 1: Pacific Lutheran 10, Linfield 3
Austin Gormley got on base in the top of the first via a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Cole Trotignon.
PLU scored seven runs in the fourth inning on six hits and one error with 12 Lutes coming to bat. Jordan Haworth led-off the inning with a double to right, Trotignon hit a single to shallow center to put runners on the corners with no outs.
After a strikeout, Connor Lemma drew a walk to load the bases. Ashton Barton drove in Haworth on a single. Kenton Robillard brought home Trotignon on a base hit to left.
Alex Boyd hit the third-consecutive single of the inning and plated Lemma and Barton, who scored due to a fielding error. Sean Kauffman cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left.
The Lutes had two runners on base, but
Gavin Ludlow came into the game and forced Andy Schmitz into a groundout to end the inning.
Linfield's first run of the game came off the bat of
Wyatt Smith, who hit a solo home run. His second of the year. He drove in the second run of the game for the Wildcats as well.
Kai Herko doubled down the left field line and was driven in by Smith, who reached on a fielding error.
In the bottom of the eighth,
Bodey Smith came in as a pinch hitter and drew a walk. He got out at second on a fielder's choice hit by
Jackson Horner, who scored on a double to left center by
Tanner Jacques.
Trotignon picked up two more RBIs in the ninth, scoring Gormley and Kauffman on a double to left. He had three hits and three RBIs in the game and the lone Lute to have a multi-hit game.
Mike LaVigne went 2 for 4 for Linfield.
Wyatt Smith had two of the three RBIs.
The starting pitcher for the Wildcats,
Andrew Del Biaggio, was credited with the loss. He gave up seven earned runs in 3.2 innings.
Gavin Ludlow threw 4.1 innings in relief, allowing no runs and just one hit.
Michael Schutz gave up no runs and collected three outs in the ninth.
Thomas Kolander made his season debut on the mound for the 'Cats.
Tommy Snyder was the winning pitcher. He gave up one run on five hits, two walks and struck out five in six innings. Justin Tucker came into the pitch the final 1.1 innings, allowing no runs or hits.
GAME 2: Pacific Lutheran 8, Linfield 7
The Wildcats climbed to a 7-0 lead through the first two innings.
Wyatt Smith reached on an error to lead off the first inning, he advanced to second on a single by LaVigne with two outs.
Bodey Smith hit an infield single to second base and advanced to second on a throwing error.
Wyatt Smith scored on the play. Horner drew a walk to load the bases. Garret Moen reached on another error by the Lutes,
Bodey Smith and LaVigne scored on the play.
Jacques hit a bunt single to third and moved Moen to third, who scored on a single by
Brett Joner. Linfield had 10 batters come to bat and scored five runs on four hits and three errors in the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the second,
Bodey Smith hit his first career home run. It was a two-run shot to right field and scoring on the play was
Levi Horner-Villa.
The Lutes loaded the bases in the third with no outs with three-straight singles by Barton, Boyd and Robillard. Barton scored on a single by Gormley while Boyd was tagged at home on the play.
Boyd hit a double to left center in the fifth that scored Barton, who reached base on a double down the left field line.
Pacific Lutheran took the lead in the sixth inning. Trotignon led off the inning with a double down the left field line, Armond Swanson hit a single to move Trotignon to third.
Schmitz drove in Trotignon on a base hit to right. With two-straight outs recorded by the Wildcats and the score at 7-3, Robillard plated Noah Claxton Ward, who pinch ran for Cody Bentley, who singled earlier in the inning.
The Lutes pulled to within 7-6 on a double down the right field line by Lemma, that scored Barton and Schmitz. Gormley tied the game on a single to left which scored Robillard. Haworth hit a fielder's choice to third, but drove in Lemma to give PLU its first lead of the day.
Justin Tucker and Alex Gregory combined to allow no runs and just one hit over the last two innings, to hand the Wildcats their fourth-straight loss.
Trotignon started the game for the Lutes, he gave up seven runs but only two were earned in two innings. Trevor Mason pitched three shutout innings. Tucker got the win, he tossed 1.1 innings and gave up a hit. Gregory got the save by recording the final two outs.
Grant Knox turned in a quality start for Linfield, giving up two earned runs on six hits in 4.2 innings, he struck out four batters.
Skyler Manelski gave up five earned runs in 0.2 innings.
Colton Meyer got the loss, he pitched 1.2 innings.
Gormley went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Schmitz, Barton, Boyd and Robillard had two hits each.
Horner-Villa and
Bodey Smith had two hits each for the Wildcats.
Linfield falls to 10-26 on the season and 8-20 in Northwest Conference play with two games to go. The Lutes improve to 23-15 overall and have a conference record of 19-11.
UP NEXT
The season ends for the Wildcats on Sunday at Roy Helser Field against the Lutes with the doubleheader slated to start at 12 noon. Prior to the game, Linfield will honor its graduating seniors with a senior day ceremony at approximately 11:35 a.m.
