Linfield University Athletics

McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield baseball (3-0) got the season started with a three-game series sweep of the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers (2-5), erasing a two-run deficit to win 6-2 on Sunday. It's the Wildcats first three-game series sweep to open a season since 1978.
 
Sophomore Colton Ouellette's first start of the season began with a lead-off home run, part of a shaky first inning that saw two errors. He navigated through a pair of walks in the second and allowed two hits in the third, putting the Mountaineers up 2-0. 
 
Wyatt McClory had Linfield's first hit in the bottom of the third, a double down the left field line, but was later picked off to end the inning. Graduate student Casey Struckmeier came in relief, holding down the next two innings.
 
Linfield got on the board in the home fourth, as Jaxson Kister had a bunt single then stole second. A Luke Porter single scored Kister, 2-1 EOU through five.
 
The game was decided in the bottom of the sixth, where Kister and Rylan Gulard opened the inning with two singles. Junior Cole Snidow drove in both with a one-out single to center field. Two consecutive balks advanced Snidow to third. Josh Mansur drove in both runners with a deep triple to right center field. McClory's squeeze bunt sacrificed himself and scored McClory to put the 'Cats up 6-2 through six.
 
Linfield was unable to plate any more runners in the final three innings, but Wyatt Hurley and Zack Hampson held it down out of the 'pen. Hurley earned his second win of the season, while Hampson was credited with the two and two-thirds-inning save. 
 
The three-game series sweep saw two come-from-behind wins, one walk-off, and the 'Cats outscoring the Mountaineers, 30-15 overall.
 
Linfield recorded 10 hits, with Kister and Snidow collecting two each. Snidow drove in two runs with his sixth inning single. Ouellette's three-inning outing saw a pair of earned runs, but he struck out six and allowed just three hits. Struckmeier, Hurley and Hampson closed out the final six innings by allowing just one hit and striking out seven. 
 
The Wildcats are in La Verne, California, next weekend for a four-game series against the La Verne Leopards beginning on Friday.
 
To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com. 
 
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