SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth outhit Linfield in both ends of the doubleheader to sweep the two-game set on Saturday afternoon at Paul Merkel Field. The Pirates took game one 6-3 over the Wildcats before winning game two in extra innings 12-11.
Brett Joner finished with four hits across the two contests while
Nick Holm totaled three hits extending his Northwest Conference game-hitting streak to 13 straight games.
Trent Wainfeld has recorded a hit in each of the last nine games.
GAME 1: Whitworth 6 - Linfield 3
Camden Oram (5-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up five earned runs in five innings. Holm's two doubles were the only two extra-base hits for the Wildcats.
Joner also totaled two hits. Whitworth (23-11, 11-9 NWC) edged Linfield in total hits 8-6.
Hunter Dryden (6-1) earned the win after only giving up one run in seven innings of work while punching out eight Linfield batters. Austin Paul mashed a grand slam to finish with a game-high four RBIs. Aidan Morrison and Henry Zaske each hit a double.
The Pirates plated four off the Paul grand slam in the second inning. The Wildcats scored single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings. Whitworth added two more runs across the fifth and sixth frames.
Hunter Williams only gave up two hits across two innings of relief work for the Pirates.
GAME 2: Whitworth 12 - Linfield 11 (10 innings)
Declan Francis (1-1) was given the loss after giving up six earned runs in two innings of work. Holm,
Danny Kahn and
Hunter Klingelhoffer each mashed home runs. Kahn totaled three hits while Holm and Klingelhoffer each tallied three RBIs. Linfield (18-19, 11-11 NWC) stranded 13 runners on base.
Spencer Shipman was one of three Pirates with three hits and accounted for Whitworth's only home run. Shipman, Austin and Elijah Tanner were responsible for all 11 Pirates RBIs. Evan Williamson (1-0) earned the win after hurling an inning of relief work and not giving up a hit. Whitworth had 10 batters reach base via walk while Linfield had nine.
Offense was working early and often for both sides. Whitworth scored 11 runs across through the first sixth innings. Linfield trailed 11-6 after the sixth inning before a late surge across the eighth and ninth frames. The Wildcats brought in three runs in the eighth inning before Holm's two-run blast in the ninth notched the contest at 11.
With one out and the bases loaded, Tanner singled off Linfield reliever
Gavin Ludlow to bring across Whitworth's game-winning score.
ON DECK
The Wildcats are back in action on Sunday for the series finale against Whitworth with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
