SPOKANE, Wash. --- Linfield baseball (18-101, 10-4 NWC) dropped the first two of a three-game series on the road at Whitworth (19-13, 14-3 NWC), 8-3 and 12-2.
 
GAME ONE
Starter Matthew Tacheny navigated past a one-out single in the home first, getting into some trouble an inning later where a leadoff double and hit by pitch scored to put the Pirates up 2-0.
 
Ely Kennel notched Linfield's first hit of the game in the third inning with a two-out single to left field, later stranded on second base. Whitworth doubled the lead in the home fourth with a two-run home run, 4-0 through four.
 
Linfield was unable to find the clutch hit until the seventh inning. A leadoff walk to Luke Porter, followed by a Cole Hubka double and Jackson Bui single made it 4-2 and ended the Pirates starter's outing. Kennel doubles and Wyatt McClory walked to load the bases with still nobody out in the seventh. Rylan Gullard scored Bui on a sacrifice fly to center, but that was all the damage the 'Cats were able to do, now trailing just 4-3.
 
A two-out single off of reliever Zach Jaeger made it 5-3 Whitworth, bringing home the leadoff walk. 
 
Whitworth piled on three insurance runs in the eighth off of Luke Schoeffler, helping to take an 8-3 win in the series opener. 
 
Bui, Hubka, and Kennel's two hits a-piece accounted for six of the 'Cats seven total hits in the game. Bui led the team with his pair of runs batted in. Linfield stranded ten runners in the bags, although striking out just five times. 
 
Tacheny's record moved to 1-2 on the season after five and two-thirds in the series opener, allowing four runs on nine hits, striking out a pair. 
 
GAME TWO
The Pirates regained the conference's top spot on Saturday, getting to the Wildcats early in game two with an RBI double in the bottom of the first. Whitworth held Linfield without a hit for the first three frames, tacking on four more runs in the home third to make it 5-0 and knock start Johnny Ingalls out of the game. 
 
Third baseman Wyatt McClory singled to center in the fourth to get the 'Cats in the hit column, but was cut down in an inning-ending double play. A solo homer in the home fourth off of reliever Jack Williams then made it 6-0 Whitworth.
 
Whitworth scored one early in the sixth to force Jordan Harlow to go to his bullpen yet again, this time bringing in Brian Mannion and Carter Studer later in the inning. The Pirates scored two more runs with two down in the inning to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
 
Linfield put a run on the board in the seventh as Nick Holm's two out single to left brought home Rylan Gullard. The bats stayed hot for the Pirates in the home seventh, adding their final three runs of the game to go up 12-1.
 
Zach Jaeger pinch hit for Ely Kennel in the bottom of the ninth, sending a ball over the fence for a solo shot. Whitworth took game two of the series, 12-2, for the Saturday doubleheader sweep and securing the series. 
 
Five different 'Cats notched one hit a-piece in game two, with Holm and Jaeger driving in one run each. Linfield stranded just three runners, an improvement from the series opener, but struggled to create traffic on the basepaths against the Pirates starter.
 
Ingalls moved to 1-1 on the mound this season after just two and two-thirds, allowing four runs on four hits. 
 
UP NEXT
Baseball closes out the series tomorrow at Noon in Spokane, aiming to take one from the Pirates and stay in the hunt for the conference's top seed.
 
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