NEWBERG, Ore. – Linfield baseball (7-2, 2-0 NWC) started the first Northwest Conference series with a pair of wins in Saturday's doubleheader at George Fox (2-7, 0-2 NWC), winning 11-3 and 10-9.
 
GAME ONE
Linfield loaded the bases to begin the morning game thanks to two free bags and a single. The stage was set for Wyatt McClory to go deep over the left field fence, giving the 'Cats an early 4-0 lead.
 
The lead was extended to five in the road third, Cole Snidow singled to left, scoring Rylan Gulard who led off the inning by reaching on a Bruin error. Jaxson Kister then doubled with two-down in the fourth, scoring Cole Hubka; 6-0 Linfield.
 
Baserunners showed up each inning for the Wildcats, in the fifth Wyatt Hurley walked and scored on a Snidow two-run shot to left to continue to pour it on. The seventh saw the first two batters retired, leading to a two-out rally thanks to three singles and a hit batter, adding two more to the tally.
 
Brian Mannion and the Linfield bullpen navigated a few singles late in the game, but were unable to maintain the shutout when the Bruins hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Emerson Dennis escaped without further damage, giving the Wildcats an 11-3 win to open conference play.
 
The 'Cats scored 11 runs on 11 hits, thanks to a first-inning grand slam by McClory to set the tone. McClory's four runs batted in led the team, followed by Snidow who drove in three during his 2-5 day at the plate that included a two-run jack. Tacheny's seven strong innings allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out four gave him his first win of the season. 
 
GAME TWO
Linfield's bats carried over into game two, scoring two runs on a two-out Wyatt McClory single to center. George Fox responded in the home half, scoring one off of Linfield starter Jack Williams. 
 
The Bruins took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the third, adding a pair of runs to make it 3-2 Fox.
 
Snidow and McClory led off the fourth with two singles, one of which scoring on a Josh Mansur RBI-double to deep right center. Sophomore Caiden Gould plated Mansur two batters later to go back up 4-3.
 
The advantage was short-lived, George Fox hit a home run and a sacrifice fly to regain a 5-4 lead, ending Williams outing on the bump for the 'Cats. The lead was stretched to three in the next inning, with three runs scoring on Casey Struckmeier out of the bullpen.
 
Each team plated one in the seventh, part of Rylan Gulard's two-out RBI-single; leaving the Wildcats trailing 8-5 with two innings to play. 
 
Linfield quicky got to the Bruins newest arm out of the bullpen in the top of the eighth, Mansur drove in Snidow with a double to right center, then Ely Kennel ripped a pinch-hit single to left to score McClory. Now with just one out in the inning, Kister doubled, scoring Clay Pecore and Gould to take a 10-8 lead, erasing a three-run deficit.
 
The Bruins tried to claw back with a leadoff home run to open the ninth, but Zack Hampson slammed the door with three-straight outs to end the game; Linfield won game two of the three-game series, 10-9.
 
Kennel, Kister, Mansur and McClory each drove in two, with the first three leading the eighth-inning come back. McClory went 4-5 with a walk at the dish in Saturday's finale, accounting for four of Linfield's 14 hits. Hampson's two-inning stint to finish the game out of the 'pen helped him repeat his last outing down in La Verne, earning another win to his season total. 
 
Baseball looks to sweep the series against the Bruins tomorrow at Noon in Newberg.
 
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. 
 
  Read Full Article