McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Whitworth pushed top-ranked Linfield twice on Saturday, but came away with a pair of low-scoring losses in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader at Roy Helser Field.

The Wildcats won the opener 4-2 and the nightcap 2-1 to improve to 17-3 overall and 10-1 in the NWC.  The Pirates dropped to 6-11, 3-5.

The teams will complete the three-game series on Sunday at noon.

Game 1 – Linfield 4, Whitworth 2
Linfield scored three runs in the fifth inning to open a 4-0 lead, then held off a late Whitworth rally to claim the opener.

Carson Blumenthal (0-3) was solid on the mound for the Pirates, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits over seven innings.  He struck out three Wildcats and walked one.  Dan Scheibe, making his first appearance on the mound since the opening weekend, threw the final inning.

But it wasn't enough to keep up with Chris Haddeland, the 2013 NCAA Div. III Pitcher of the Year.   Haddeland improved to 6-0 despite giving up two runs on seven hits.  Cody Walker threw a perfect ninth for his first save.

Eric Lawson went 3-4 and drove in two runs for Linfield to help the Wildcats take the 4-0 lead.  Whitworth rallied in the eighth inning.  Jeremy Druffel's two-out double drove in Nick Motsinger with the Pirates' first run.  Thomas Wakem followed with an RBI single to halve the lead.  But Linfield recorded the final four outs to claim the win.

Druffel went 2-4 at the plate for Whitworth in the first game.

Game 2 – Linfield 2, Whitworth 1
The Wildcats broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning to claim the pitchers' duel and the doubleheader sweep.

Whitworth's Cory Mack traded zeros with Linfield's Zach Brandon for most of the game.  Mack allowed one run on six hits over six innings of work, but came away with no decision.  Taylor Isadore (0-1) took the loss after giving up one run on three hits in two innings.

Brandon also allowed only one run on six hits, but in seven innings.  Zach Manley (2-0) earned the win with two shutout innings of relief.

Trailing 1-0 in the seventh, the Pirates tied the game on Nick Motsinger's double that drove in Eric Nikssarian.  Motsinger was the only Whitworth player with more than one hit in the game.

Clayton Truex drilled a one-out double in the eighth, then scored on a fielder's choice for the game-winning run.