McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield took Game 2 on Saturday but couldn't win the series as Pacific rallied its way to a 6-1 win over the Wildcats Sunday afternoon at Roy Helser Field.
Damon Tanner put Pacific on the board with a solo home run to center field in the second inning. Linfield collected three hits in the third inning but couldn't push a run across. The Wildcats had runners on second and third, but Boxer starter Derek Eubanks struck out
Branden Pasion to end the threat.
The Linfield bats broke the silence in the fourth.
Jacob Campos ripped a first-pitch single to left to get things started.
Wyatt Smith doubled past a diving right fielder to advance Campos to third and set up a sacrifice fly by
Cage Hardy. The Boxers escaped the inning with the scored tied at 1-1.
Pacific scored two runs in the fifth to break the tie. In a nine-pitch at-bat, Ty Yukumoto singled down the right-field line to drive in Cole Strober. The RBI single chased Linfield starter
Andrew Del Biaggio after 4 1/3 innings of work.
Del Biaggio allowed three earned runs on five hits while striking out four before handing the ball to
Skyler Manelski in the sidewinder's third appearance of the series. Ryan Krout continued the fifth inning with an RBI single before Isaac Lovings grounded into a 4-3 double play to end the rally.
Manelski tossed a scoreless sixth frame and finished his outing having allowed just one hit.
Nick Alder entered the game in the seventh and went 2 2/3 before
Logan Travis took the mound with two outs in the ninth and the bases loaded. Travis gave up a bases-clearing, three-run double down the left-field line to Jordan Hara in what was the dagger for the Boxers in their fourth straight Northwest Conference series win.
The 'Cats outhit the Boxers 10-9 in the loss.
Mike LaVigne broke out for a 3-for-4 performance after going hitless in Saturday's twinbill.
Ryan Kamp went 2 for 2 in his fifth start of the season. Yukumoto and Max Nealon finished with two hits apiece for the Boxers.
NEXT
Linfield fell under .500 with the loss, dropping to 11-12 overall and 8-7 in NWC play to come into a tie for fourth place with George Fox. The 'Cats will play the Bruins in a non-conference game on Tuesday in Newberg before continuing NWC play at Willamette on April 2-3.
