McMinnville, Ore. - (From Linfield Sports Information Office) Amidst vacillating snow showers and sun breaks, Linfield sewed up a four-game Northwest Conference sweep of Whitworth Monday afternoon at the Roy Helser Field. The Wildcats won a tightly contested opener 3-1 in extra innings then pounced on the Pirates for a dozen hits in the 11-1 series capper. Linfield, now 9-3 overall, improved to 6-2 in the NWC following an 0-2 conference start. Whitworth slipped to 3-9 and 1-6 in league play. Originally scheduled for Spokane, the snow-scattered series was moved to McMinnville by weather concerns. As it was, Monday’s doubleheader started 10 minutes late due to a flurry, was delayed for another eight minutes early in Game 2, and ended under a final burst of heavy snow and rain.
GAME 1: Linfield 3, Whitworth 1 (8 inn.) - Complete box score Linfield broke open a tight game in the eighth inning, pushing across two runs to break a 1-1 standoff. Eric Evenson delivered the game-winning hit, a bunt down the third-base line. Stew Davis put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the second inning. Whitworth evened the contest at 1 in the fourth when Dustin Smith mishandled Chris Bartenhagen’s sharply hit ball down the third-base line, allowing JR Jarrell to score. With freshman reliever Mitch Edwards pitching, the Pirates put runners at first and second with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Edwards fanned pinch hitter Michael Takemura, then walked Kevin Valerio to load the bases. After Kyle Mosbrucker replaced Edwards, leadoff hitter Dan Belet lined out into the glove of first baseman Ty Stanley, who stepped on the bag to complete the double play and end the inning. Kelson Brown doubled to lead off the top of the eighth inning, the stole third base. Evenson dropped a short bunt that allowed Brown to score the go-ahead run, then Smith singled up the middle to score Evenson from second and the Wildcats led 3-1. Whitworth, the designated home team in series, threatened in the bottom of the inning. Consecutive singles by Mitch Ramsay and Luis Tovar put the potential winning run at the plate in the form of Jarrell. But Jarrell popped out, and pinch hitter Landon Scott flied out to center field to end the game. Cole Bixenman went 2 for 3 for the Wildcats. Mosbrucker (1-0), who faced just six batters in the final 1 2/3 innings, earned the win. Pirates starter Chad Flett pitched a valiant game, striking out six Wildcats and allowing just three hits through seven innings. Reliever Ryan Reitmeier (0-2) was charged with the loss. GAME 2: Linfield 11, Whitworth 1 - Complete box score Linfield pitchers Evan Hilberg (five innings) and Andy Hunthausen (two innings) handcuffed Whitworth hitters throughout, limiting the Pirates to three hits. Two big innings spurred Linfield to a 10-1 advantage midway through the contest. After Whitworth took a 1-0 lead on Bartenhagen’s second-inning RBI, the Wildcats erupted with Bixenman’s three-run homer in the third. The ‘Cats piled it on with seven runs in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Zach Bosovich, his third of the season. Steve Arnst put the icing on the cake with his first career home run in the seventh inning. Evenson led the way offensively with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Bixenman and Smith each had a pair of hits as Linfield outhit the visitors 12-3. Whitworth starter Nathan Johnson (1-1) lasted 3 2/3 innings. Johnson gave up nine hits and three walks. Tovar, Bartenhagen and Scott accounted for the Pirates’ three hits in the game. Notes: Whitworth will head back to Oregon next week to take on Pacific University in a four-game Northwest Conference series. |
