GAME ONE
GAME TWO
PORTLAND, Ore. – Tucker Laurence set the
tone with his leadoff home run and the Lewis & Clark Pioneers
never looked back in the their upset of #11 Linfield at the Houston
Sports Complex on Friday, April 10. The Pioneers earned the 12-5
decision from the Wildcats in game one of the doubleheader before
coming from behind to earn a 9-6 victory in game two.
The Pioneers scored in five straight innings in game one, while
holding the Wildcats to just two runs within those innings. Alex
St. Pierre picked up the victory for L&C while pitching eight
innings and striking out six Wildcat batters.
St. Pierre started the game by retiring the first three Wildcat
batters and allowing his offense to go to work in the bottom of the
first inning. The Pio's second batter, Ryan Kostecka nailed a
shot off the fence down the left field line, legging out a double.
An error by the Wildcat shortstop moments later allowed Kostecka to
move to third, while putting Sami Morgan on first. Morgan would
come around to score on a single by Parker Dane, which also allowed
Jordan Wlodarczyk advance to second after singling to center.
Michael Ball collected two RBI on a double to left center, allowing
both Dane and Wlodarczyk to score. The second baseman would come
across the plate to score the Pios fifth run of the inning, on a
Wildcat throwing error.
The Pios put up three runs in the bottom of the next inning, before
plating one more run in the bottom of the third. The Wildcats cut
the Pio lead to 9-2 in the top of the fourth after scoring two runs
on three hits and one L&C error. The Pioneers would not let
down, earning one of those runs back in the bottom half of the
inning with Wlodarczyk once again crossing the plate. Two more
Pioneer runs in the bottom of the sixth inning took the Pio lead to
12-2.
The Wildcats tried desperately to overcome the Pioneers ten run
lead in the top of the ninth inning, scoring three runs, but it
would not be enough to lift the nation's 11th best team over
the Pios.
Linfield started game two with something to prove, putting up four
runs in the first inning. Lewis & Clark cut the Wildcat lead in
half in the bottom portion of the inning by posting two runs of
their own beginning with back-to-back doubles. Linfield scored
another run in the top of the second inning to claim a 5-2
advantage.
Three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed the Pios to
grab their first lead of the game, handing them a 7-6 advantage.
The Pioneers would never let up after claiming the lead, not
allowing the Wildcats to plate another run in the game, while
putting up two more themselves.
The Pios were led by designated hitter A.J. Brown who ended the
game 4-5 from the plate, collecting a home run, a double and two
singles.
Adam Rager picked up the win for L&C, pitching 6.1 innings,
striking out two batters. Roland Greene picked up the save, coming
in to pitch 2.2 innings and striking out three.
L&C returns to action on Saturday, April 11 at 12 p.m. at the
Houston Sports Complex for Senior Day. The Pioneers will take on
Linfield in games three and four of the Northwest Conference
series, playing two seven inning games.
