TACOMA, Wash. - The Linfield Wildcats found a way to plug up a
late Puget Sound Logger rally to take an 11-8 win in the first game
of a three-game Northwest Conference baseball series on Saturday in
Tacoma, Wash. The second game was halted in the seventh
inning with the 'Cats leading 11-3.
After two scoreless innings, the Wildcats opened up the scoring
in the top of the third as Tyson Smith scored on a ground out by
Eric Evenson to give Linfield the early 1-0 lead. The
Wildcats made it 2-0 on a lead-off home run by Rhett Fenton in the
top of the third and then Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field
to score Zach Boskovich from third.
Linfield score one more run in the fifth to push the lead to 4-0
but the Loggers answered back with two runs in the bottom of the
inning to cut the gap to 4-2. The 'Cats blew the game open in
the top of the sixth, taking advantage of two Logger errors to
score five unearned runs to push the lead to 9-2.
Mitch Webb homered to left field to lead off the seventh and
then Michael Hopp scored on a passed ball as the lead hit 11-2 but
the Loggers didn't give up. In the bottom of the inning, the
Loggers scored six runs on five hits, highlighted by a two RBI
single by Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) that scored Jason
Powell (Redwood City, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) and Will Mentor
(Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) to get the Loggers back within three
runs at 11-8.
Neither team was able to push a run across in the final two
frames as the 'Cats collected the series opener, 11-8. Tim
Fogarty (Pacifica, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) took the loss,
allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in five
innings pitched. Ryan Larson earned the win for Linfield,
allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings pitched.
In the second game, the Loggers got off to a 2-0 lead after one
inning but five runs by Linfield in the top of the second and two
runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings put the 'Cats up big.
The game was halted in the bottom of the seventh inning with
no outs. A full recap of game two will be posted following
the conclusion of the game on Monday.
The Loggers and 'Cats will resume game two and then play the
third and final game of the series on Monday afternoon beginning at
1:00 p.m.
