McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Elijah Maris' walk-off home run gave Linfield the 3-2 game-one win over visiting St. Martin's at Roy Helser Field on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats then rallied from a seven-run deficit in game two to win the second game off a
Nick Holm sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth inning, topping the Saints 12-11.
GAME 1: Linfield 3 - St. Martin's 2
Jacob Swenson went six full innings, seeing 26 batters, giving up one run and striking out five.
Coming into Saturday's game, St. Martin's pitcher Colin Driscoll hadn't given up an extra-base hit in 19 innings. The Wildcats tagged Driscoll for three extra-base hits with Maris,
Wyatt Hurley and
Hunter Klingelhoffer each hitting a double.
Hurley and Maris led the 'Cats offense with three hits each. The Wildcats totaled 10 hits.
Logan Travis (1-0) earned his first win in relief, pitching the final two frames for the Wildcats while St. Martin's Caleb Okada (0-2) was credited with the loss.
Peter Hollabaugh led St. Martin's offense with three hits while Hunter Sasaki and Dylan McLaughlin each had two.
The Wildcats and Saints both scored in the first inning. St. Martin's only other run came in the sixth inning. Linfield's two other runs came across in the second and ninth innings.
GAME 2: Linfield 12 - St. Martin's 11
Eight pitchers touched the rubber for the Wildcats.
Nick Alder (1-0) came away with his first win, pitching the final three innings in relief. On offense, Maris,
Danny Kahn and
Bodey Smith each tallied extra-base hits as Linfield tallied 12 hits.
Matthew Lewis tied a game-high with three RBIs.
Justice Yamashita went five innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Damon Ingram led the Saints with three hits while three other players tied with two. St. Martin's (5-11) totaled 16 hits while Rylen Miyasaki (0-1) was saddled with the loss.
The Saints scored runs in the first, third, fifth innings, sixth and seventh innings with multiple runs coming across in the fifth and sixth frames.
Linfield brought runs across in the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and 10th innings. The 'Cats stormed back in their half of the seventh inning, bringing five runs across to send the game into extra innings deadlocked at 11. In the bottom of the tenth, Holm's sacrifice fly to right field brought
Marco Santulli across to score.
ON DECK
The Wildcats (3-4) went 3-1 over four games against two Division-II schools. Linfield returns to action when Pacific comes to Roy Helser Field on March 2. First pitch for the doubleheader is scheduled for noon.
