PORTLAND, Ore. – With Northwest Conference postseason implications hanging in the balance, Linfield split Saturday's doubleheader against Lewis & Clark at Huston Sports Complex, taking the first half of the twin bill by a score of 12-10 before falling 8-0 in the nightcap.
The Wildcats remain tied for fourth place in the NWC standings with just one regular-season game remaining. Only the top four teams qualify for next weekend's NWC Tournament.
GAME 1: Linfield 12, Lewis & Clark 10
Linfield came out swinging in the opener, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a RBI single by
Elijah Maris and a two RBI home run blast by
Luke Porter. The offense kept rolling with two more runs in the second, highlighted by a
Trent Wainfeld double that plated
Rylan Gullard before
Nick Holm's single brought in Wainfeld as Linfield mounted a 5-1 lead.
The Wildcats continued to build a comfortable 9-4 cushion through six innings after Porter hit his second homer of the game, bringing home
Hunter Klingelhoffer in the process.
Josh Mansur added to the electric offense with a three-run home run of his own to propel Linfield ahead 12-5 with just one inning remaining. Lewis & Clark mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth with four runs to bring the game within two runs. Eli Steinhaus then nailed a single to load the bases at two outs. Linfield's Colton Oulette was able to get himself out of the jam and shut the door on the Pioneer's run to secure the win.
Camden Oram started on the mound for the Wildcats, tossing seven innings and struck out four before
Gavin Ludlow took over for an inning before Oulette closed the game out.
GAME 2: Lewis & Clark 8, Linfield 0
The Wildcats were held scoreless in the second half of their doubleheader against Lewis & Clark on Saturday, falling 8-0 at Jerry Gatto Field. The Wildcats managed just three hits in the contest, with
Hunter Klingelhoffer providing the lone extra-base hit, a double down the left-field line. Lewis & Clark broke the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run rally, capped by Michael Aikawa's two-run double, and later added three more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Linfield starter
Jake Swenson took the loss despite a competitive outing, allowing five runs over six innings while striking out four. The Pioneers' Owen Eisen dominated on the mound, tossing six shutout innings with just two hits allowed and seven strikeouts. The Wildcats threatened in the seventh, putting runners on first and second, but Lewis & Clark's bullpen escaped the jam to preserve the shutout.
Defensively, Linfield played a clean game with no errors, but the offense couldn't crack the Pioneers' pitching staff.
Next
As it stands, Linfield remains tied with Whitman for the fourth and final spot in the NWC Tournament. The Wildcats currently hold the tie breaker over the Blues after sweeping them in Walla Walla earlier this season.
A win in Sunday's season finale against the Pioneers would secure Linfield's spot in the conference tournament. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Huston Sports Complex.
