MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- The Loggers put together a complete performance on Sunday afternoon, taking down Linfield 9–2. Behind stellar pitching, clutch hitting, and aggressive baserunning, the Loggers controlled the game from the first pitch and never looked back.
The action started in the second inning when Preston Crockett led off with a single and quickly moved into scoring position. Sean Murphy came through moments later with an infield RBI single, giving Puget Sound an early 1–0 lead and setting the tone for the day.
In the third, the Loggers' bats came alive in a big way. Ryan Spero drew a walk and Kellen Krebs reached on a fielder's choice, setting the stage for Matt Churchill. Churchill turned on a pitch and crushed a three-run home run over the left-field fence, extending the lead to 4–0 and energizing the dugout.
With starter Brett Harvey cruising on the mound, Puget Sound kept pressing. In the sixth inning, Sean Murphy singled again and moved into scoring position before Drew Kamihara ripped an RBI double down the right-field line to make it 5–0.
The offense wasn't finished. In the eighth inning, the Loggers broke the game wide open. Murphy and Jim O'Brien each reached base, and Kamihara delivered once again, this time with a two-run double into the gap. Moments later, Kellen Krebs continued the onslaught with a two-run double of his own, pushing the score to a commanding 9–0.
Meanwhile, Harvey was dominant. He tossed seven shutout innings, scattering just two hits while striking out five Wildcats. He consistently worked ahead in counts, mixing speeds to keep Linfield's hitters off balance.
Linfield managed to scratch across two runs in the eighth inning off the Puget Sound bullpen, but the outcome was never truly in doubt. Reliever Zach Robman came on in the ninth to slam the door and secure the series-clinching win.
With the victory, Puget Sound improves to 24–13 overall and 13–8 in Northwest Conference play. The Loggers will look to ride this momentum into next weekend's series against Pacific Lutheran.
