WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Linfield baseball is above .500 in Northwest Conference play for the first time in 2022 with a doubleheader sweep of Whitman Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.
Riding a four-game winning streak, the Wildcats scored seven runs in each game to earn a NWC series win for the first time in their 2022 campaign.
Mike LaVigne had a combined six hits on the day to lead the team.
GAME 1: Linfield 7, Whitman 0
Linfield picked up its first shutout win of the season behind a pair of three-run innings.
Branden Pasion started the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning to set the tone. He turned in a 3-for-5 performance with two runs and two RBI.
The Wildcats separated themselves from the Blues in the sixth inning.
Daniel Kahn drove in a run with an RBI single before
Bodey Smith sent another run home on a fielder's choice.
Daniel Kahn scored later in the inning on an error. A three-run seventh inning was highlighted by a
Mike LaVigne RBI single and back-to-back RBI doubles by Pasion and Kahn.
Kahn finished 4 for 5 in the cleanup spot with a run and two RBI. LaVigne joined Pasion in going 3 for 5 while
Garrett Moen collected two hits.
Ben Parker and Nate Korahais had two hits apiece for Whitman. Blues starter Julien Hernandez went 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Ben Ortiz took the mound in the seventh and held the Wildcats scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Jackson Koons earned his second win of the season after tossing a strong 5 2/3 innings in his second start of the season. He allowed six hits to go with three strikeouts.
Skyler Manelski cleaned up in the sixth inning while
Gage Mack and
Sam Adams each allowed just one hit in the final three frames.
GAME 2: Linfield 7, Whitman 1
Linfield scored in batches again to earn a sweep of the twinbill. Six different Wildcats contributed to the team's nine hits.
Branden Pasion reach on an error in the third inning to score
Tanner Jacques.
Daniel Kahn drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning and was followed by a two-run single by
Ryan Kamp.
Whitman got on the board in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Beck Maguire to drive in Garrett Runyan. The 'Cats responded with three insurance runs in the sixth on a two-run single by
Cameron Skinner and an RBI groundout by
Wyatt Smith.
Mike LaVigne continued his big day at the plate by going 3 for 6 with a pair of runs.
Bodey Smith entered the game in left field for Kamp and was a perfect 2 for 2 off the bench.
Andrew Del Biaggio went 5 2/3 innings to earn the win, allowing one run on three hits while claiming three victims via strikeout.
Nick Alder took over in the sixth and threw 2 1/3 innings while
Colton Meyer closed it out in the ninth. Alder and Meyer each had two K's.
NEXT
The 'Cats (8-8, 5-4 NWC) and Blues (4-13, 1-4 NWC) will end the series on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon. Linfield will then host Lewis & Clark in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday.
