LA VERNE, Calif. – La Verne tied the game in the eighth inning, but Linfield got the last laugh in the ninth to even the series with a 9-8 victory Friday at Ben Hines Field.
The Wildcats scored on the fourth batter of the game when
Branden Pasion drove in
Jake Hoskins on a double to center field. Pasion went 1 for 3 and scored twice.
La Verne answered with two runs in the bottom half of the first inning and then added another run in the second.
Bodey Smith singled to center in the third inning to send
Garrett Moen home from second base for the Wildcats' second run of the afternoon. But the Leopards quickly got that run back with a fourth-inning groundout RBI by Manuel Munoz.
Linfield turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead in the sixth inning, piling on four runs on just two hits. With the bases loaded,
Nick Holm reached on a fielding error by the La Verne third baseman, scoring Pasion from third.
Ethan Rhoads followed with a bases-loaded RBI single to right to plate
Cameron Skinner, who doubled earlier in the inning. The 'Cats picked up two more runs on a fielder's choice by
Trent Wainfeld and a safety squeeze by Moen.
The road team doubled their lead the following inning. The Leopards loaded the bases for the 'Cats once again and allowed Pasion to score for the second time on a passed ball. The 'Cats tacked on another run on a wild pitch.
A four-run eighth inning for La Verne tied the game at 8-apiece. Jack Janes punched a bases-loaded pinch-hit single through the left side to get the rally started. That brought the Leopards back to their leadoff batter in Luke Garcia, who tied the game with a bases-clearing double.
The 'Cats escaped with their first win of the series on Holm's sacrifice fly in the ninth. The Leopards got the tying run to third base but couldn't cash him in.
Smith turned in the only multi-hit game for the 'Cats while Holm finished with a team-leading two RBI. Luke Garcia went 3 for 4 with a run and three RBI for the Leopards while Noah Garcia was 5 for 5 and scored three times.
Gavin Ludlow threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter
John Over, who allowed four runs on six hits with two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Casey Struckmeier earned his second collegiate win on the mound.
NEXT
Linfield (2-3) closes its southern California road trip on Saturday with first pitch for Game 3 set for 11 a.m. Northwest Conference play opens in Newberg when the 'Cats take on George Fox on Feb. 18-19.
