PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark baseball team dropped game three of its Northwest Conference series against the Linfield Wildcats. The Wildcats, who took two games on Saturday, earned a 9-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex.
The loss drops the Pioneers to 4-26 on the season and 2-16 in NWC play. The Wildcats improve to 21-6 overall and 15-3 in conference action.
The Pioneers struck first, platting a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single up the middle by senior Tucker Laurence. The hit allowed sophomore Gianluca Giarrizzo to come around and score after being hit by the Linfield pitcher to start the game.
Linfield responded in the top half of the next inning with a single run of its own, as Nate McClellan came around to score on a Tim Wilson single. The Wildcats took their first lead of the game in the top of the third, scoring three runs on four hits. Singles by Clayton Truex and Kevin Colman and double by Gunnar Cedersberg allowed all three runs to cross the plate.
Two more Wildcat runs were added to the scoreboard before the Pioneers were able to earn another of their own. Down 6-1, the Pioneers plated a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Michael Ball knocked in Giarrizzo from second.
Lewis & Clark tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth with Parker Dane scoring on a Cory Davis single. Linfield added to its advantage in the top of the seventh, as Wilson doubled down the left field line to bring in Cederberg. Linfield completed its scoring in the top of the eighth, platting two runs on four hits, while leaving the bases juiced.
The Pioneers return to action on Wednesday, April 13 at 4 p.m. when they travel to Salem to take on the Willamette Bearcats in a non-conference match-up.
