McMINNVILLE, Ore. – A six-run inning launched the University of Puget Sound baseball team to a 7-4 victory over No. 7 Linfield in Saturday's early game. The Wildcats (17-6, 11-3 NWC) took the second game 12-6 to set up another first-place showdown with the Loggers (11-9, 9-2 NWC).

Game 1 – W, 7-4

Matt Robinson and Ryan Larson engaged in a classic pitcher's duel through seven innings of Saturday's early game. The NWC's top two teams tussled through most of the game before the Loggers blew the game open.

Robinson came out on top of the pitcher's duel as he scattered 10 hits over 7.1 innings and allowed just three runs (one earned). He also struck out three in the outing. Cam Duvall came in to close out the game and earned the save for the Loggers.

 Ryan Larson took his first loss of the season of the season as he allowed five Logger runs while striking out six in 7.2 innings of work.

Linfield took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a pair of two-out RBI singles from Nate McClellan and Cole Bixenman. The Loggers didn't break through until Christian Carter scored on a groundout in the sixth to cut the lead to 2-1.

In the eighth, the Loggers exploded for six runs on four hits and were aided by a Wildcat error. Matt Cox knotted the game at 2-2 with a run-scoring double and Chaz Kramer knocked in Cox with a sacrifice fly. 

With the game tied up, Andrew Grady and Dakota Resnik knocked in back-to-back two-RBI singles to lift the Loggers to a 7-2 lead.

Bixenman homered in the bottom half and the Wildcats manufactured one more run in the ninth but could not overcome the late deficit as the Loggers increased their lead in the Northwest Conference standings.

Game 2 – L, 6-12

The Wildcats scored 11 runs over the second and third innings to sprint out to a big 12-2 lead after the first three frames. The Logger bats started rolling late but could not overcome the double-digit deficit.

The Loggers took an early lead with a pair of runs in the opening frame. Casey Coberly doubled in Matt Cox and Kramer cashed in Coberly with a single for a 2-0 Logger lead.

The Wildcats cashed in one run in the bottom half to cut the lead to 2-1. In the second, the Wildcats took a sizable lead with four runs on three hits. The Wildcats tallied three RBI-hits and Danny Urness stole home to account for the Wildcats runs.

In the third, the Wildcats broke the game wide open with seven runs on eight hits and were aided by a Logger error. The Wildcats collected an array of singles and doubles as they continued to manufacture runs throughout the inning.

Tim Wilson led the way for the Wildcats, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the game. Bixenman also collected a trio of RBIs.

The Loggers and Wildcats will square off in a rubber match tomorrow at 12 p.m.