McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield baseball (17-9, 9-2 NWC) grinded out a pair of hard-fought conference wins on Friday afternoon at Roy Helser Field, taking the opening doubleheader against Pacific Lutheran (9-11, 7-7 NWC), 7-6 and 7-5.
GAME ONE
The Lutes scored the series' first run of the game in the second inning as a leadoff walk came around to score from second thanks to a single into left. Linfield responded immediately in the home half where catcher
Cole Snidow singled to center, scoring
Wyatt McClory who led off with a line drive double to right.
Both teams plated one each in the second as well,
Jaxson Kister's double to left scored
Josh Mansur after he stole second base, 2-2 through three.
Nick Holm led off the home fourth with a deep solo blast to left field to take the Wildcats first lead of the game.
Ely Kennel drove in two that were given free bags after the homer, the second baseman's shot to the left-center gap put Linfield up 5-2.
Starter
Matthew Tacheny's day on the mound came to end in the sixth, replaced by
Luke Schoeffler. Schoeffler allowed three consecutive singles that helped PLU climb back within one in the sixth.
Snidow got a hold of one in the sixth, rounding the bases to give Linfield a 6-4 advantage, chasing PLU starter Matt Sherwood out of the game.
Colton Ouellette handled the final three innings for Linfield on the mound, getting into trouble early in the eighth as two runs scored on one hit to tie the game up at 6-6.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kennel led off with a single to center, but was cut down at third for the second out of the inning. Holm's two-out single loaded the bases for pinch hitter
Jackson Bui. Bui hit a high chopper to short, beating out the throw to give the 'Cats the walk-off win, 7-6.
Bui's pinch-hit single sealed the game, while Snidow's 2-4 outing and Kennel's 3-5 line helped each drive in a team-high two runs. Linfield out-hit PLU with 13 hits to the Lutes 11, although the 'Cats 12 strikeouts stranded six runners on base. Ouellette's two earned runs on three hits over three innings helped him get his first win of the season on the mound after working out of a pair of jams.
GAME TWO
Pacific Lutheran jumped on starter
Johnny Ingalls in the opening inning of Friday's second game, allowing three runs on three hits as PLU grabbed a quick 3-0 lead.
Jack Williams replaced Ingalls after just two outs.
Linfield answered in the seventh where
Wyatt McClory led off with a solo homer to left centerfield to get on the board. The 'Cats were issues three free bases to load the bases with no outs. Kennel's. bat stayed hot, doubling to right center to clear the bases and go up 4-3.
Williams was steady out of the bullpen, holding the Lutes scoreless and giving up just two hits over five and one-third innings. Snidow, now the designated hitter in Friday's second game, sent a second ball over the fence, extending the lead to 5-3 in the sixth.
Zach Jaeger took over for Williams to start the seventh, allowing a two-out double that scored one to bring the Lutes back within one. The 'Cats answered with a run of their own, scoring one a sacrifice fly by
Caiden Gould.
Both scored one in the eighth as well, with the 'Cats scoring on a two-out wild pitch to go back up by two, 7-5.
Closer
Zack Hampson (5-0, 4 saves) shut down the Lutes over the final 2.1 innings, earning his fourth save and giving Williams (3-0) his third win of the year. Linfield took both games of the doubleheader to begin the NWC series, their fifth series win of the season, and fourth of NWC play.
Kennel drove in three of the six RBI's in the game, bringing his total to five for the day. McClory's solo homer was his lone run batted in, although ending the day with two hits in game two.
Baseball aims for the series sweep against the Lutes tomorrow afternoon, first pitch set for Noon at Roy Helser Field.
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