BOX SCORE
McMINNVILLE, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark baseball team played its best game of the season on Sunday afternoon, battling the Linfield Wildcats in game three of the Northwest Conference series. The Pioneers fell to the #3 team in the nation 7-6 in the final inning.
For the second game of the series, the Pioneers outhit the Wildcats, but untimely errors derailed the teams efforts.
Nick Lavin finished the game 3-for-4 from the plate for the Pioneers, knocking in two runs, while coming around to score once himself. Freshman Eric Hyun also ended the day 3-for-4, picking up one RBI and crossing the plate once.
Senior Michael Ball pitched 8.2 innings for the Pioneers striking out one batter.
The Pioneers opened the game with a strong three run first inning, with the first batter, Geoff Wertz, being hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Lavin picked up his first RBI of the game with a single to right field that brought Wertz in. Mike Kinkenon followed Lavin with a single to the opposite field scoring Parker Dane. A fielder's choice by Andrew Traver allowed Ball to come in to score from third, while Kinkenon was gunned down at second.
Linfield earned a run back in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out RBI single. Lewis & Clark increased its lead back to three runs in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly by Wertz. With Hyun standing on third after leading off the inning with a double, Wertz hit the ball deep to right field, allowing Hyun to score.
A strong third inning allowed Linfield to tie the game at 4-4, scoring three runs on three hits and one Pioneer error. The inning got off to a bad start for Lewis & Clark with the first Wildcat batter reaching base after being hit by a pitch, followed shortly after by the error.
Linfield took its first lead of the game in the sixth inning with a solo homerun by the right fielder.
Hyun pulled the Pioneers even with the Wildcats with an RBI single in the eighth. Linfield once again took a one run advantage in the bottom half of the inning with another RBI single by the right fielder.
With runners in scoring position and one out in the top of the ninth, Lavin flied out to right field, brining in Dane to tie the game at 6-6.
A walk and an error in the bottom of the ninth gave the game away for the Pioneers. Linfield managed to put a runner on third with two outs, eventually sending that runner in to score on a fielding error by Lewis & Clark.
Lewis & Clark returns home for its next conference series, facing off against another NWC powerhouse in George Fox. Game one of the series is set to begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at the Huston Sports Complex.
