McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Strong pitching and timely hitting led visiting Whitworth to a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader sweep at Linfield on Saturday.
The Pirates (4-11, 3-1) defeated the Wildcats (4-8, 2-4) 8-4 and 11-3 and will try to complete the series sweep with Sunday's finale.
Game 1: Whitworth 8, Linfield 4
The Pirates used a five-run fifth inning to back the solid pitching of Hunter Dryden and Hunter Williams in Saturday's opener.
After Linfield grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on Daniel Kahn's RBI single, Whitworth scored five times in the next half inning for a 5-1 lead. Gage Gibson singled home Riley Cissne and Jacob Doughty moved to third. That allowed Doughty to score on a wild pitch in the next at-bat. Another wild pitch brought home Gibson for a 3-1 lead. Brendan Duncan singled in the fourth run and then eventually scored the final run on a balk.
Kahn's two-run double pulled Linfield within 5-3 in the sixth. Whitworth stretched the lead back to four runs with Morrison's RBI double in the seventh. J.J. Fahnlander added a sacrifice fly that drove in Duncan.
Gibson's second RBI single of the game drive in Doughty in the eighth for an 8-3 lead. Linfield scored its final run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch.
Dryden (2-2) earned his second win of the season after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings. He struck out seven batters. Williams finished up to earn his first career save, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. He retired the Wildcats in order in the ninth.
Andrew Del Biaggio (1-2) took the loss for Linfield after giving up four runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. Three relievers followed Del Biaggio.
Game 2: Whitworth 11, Linfield 3
The Pirates broke open a close game by scoring eight runs over the final three innings and Jack Leary dominated on the mound for his second win.
Jaxsen Sweum's RBI double in the first gave Whitworth a 1-0 lead. Linfield tied the game in the bottom of the first when Kahn doubled in a run, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple.
The Pirates scored twice in the third on RBI singles from Sweum and Morrison. The Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth on a hit batter, single and error on the sacrifice. Leary limited Linfield to a single run in that rally on a ground out to first base.
Duncan's two-run single increased Whitworth's lead to 5-2 in the seventh. The Pirates took advantage of a Linfield error to score two unearned runs in the eighth for a 7-2 lead.
Gibson's bases-loaded double in the top of the ninth drove in three runs and highlighted a four-run rally.
Linfield scored its final run in the bottom of the ninth.
Gibson, Sweum and Cissne all had three hits in the game.
Leary (2-2) went seven strong innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out nine batters. Riley Whelan finished up the final two innings and gave up one run on three hits.
Gage Mack (0-3) was the first of five pitchers for Linfield, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings.
