McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Home runs were in plentiful supply Tuesday afternoon at Roy Helser Field.
The Pacific Boxers swatted three round-trippers on their way to a 9-3 victory over the Linfield Wildcats in Game 2 of a Northwest Conference baseball series that began in early March and, thanks to weather and scheduling concerns, is set to conclude the first week of May.
Pacific (13-2, 3-2 NWC), the three-time defending NWC champion, pounded 15 hits in the game, including three each by Dawson Tokishi and Jake Gallagher.
Linfield (7-9, 2-3 NWC), which scored a 12-4 win over Pacific on March 2, managed six hits and committed two errors, snapping a modest two-game win streak.
The Wildcats plated the game's initial run in the bottom of the first inning when
Jake Hoskins singled then was driven home by a single to left-center field from
Elijah Maris.
Matt Gibbs evened the score with a solo home run to left field to lead off the Pacific second. Jett Mai's sacrifice RBI two batters later was followed by Gallagher's run-scoring double that made the score 3-1 in favor of the Boxers.
Pacific's Walker Matthews smacked a solo home run to lead off the third inning, giving the Boxers a two-run advantage.
Trent Wainfeld cut the margin to 4-2 with solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Pacific answered with yet another home run, this time by Gallagher in the seventh, putting Pacific back in front by three runs.
Pacific strung together six hits and rung up four more runs in the eighth, opening up a 9-2 lead. Jack Rhea doubled to drive in a run, Gallagher added a run-scoring single, and ty Yukumoto singled to send home another run.
Maris added an RBI single in the eighth for the game's final run.
Maris went 2 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs. Hoskins, Wainfeld and
Tyler Marr each contributed hits for the 'Cats.
Wildcats starter
Casey Struckmeier (0-2) was saddled with the loss, pitching the game's first two innings while allowing four hits and three earned runs.
Joey Harmon (2-0), who pitched the final four innings, earned the win in relief. He held the Wildcats to hits to two hits and one walk to close out the game.
AHEAD
Linfield heads to Portland this weekend to play Lewis & Clark in a three-game NWC series. On Saturday, the Wildcats and Pioneers square off in a doubleheader starting at noon. The series finishes up Sunday with a single game, also at noon.
