For the first time since 2016 in the series history and for the first time since 1972 in Forest Grove, the Pacific University baseball team swept a doubleheader from Linfield on Saturday with a 3-1 win in game one and 6-5 victory in the nightcap.
The two wins extend the Boxers winning streak to nine games and raises the overall record to 11-3, 5-0 in the Northwest Conference. The last nine game win streak for Pacific came during the 2016 season. The Wildcats fall to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the Northwest Conference.
In game one, Pacific got another masterful performance from pitcher
Casey Brown, who pitched his third-consecutive game. Brown limited the Wildcats to just seven hits and matched a season-high 11 strikeouts in the win to raise his record to 3-0 and lower his ERA to 1.83.
Three Boxers had two hits in the win including
Ian Blair,
Trevor Quinn and
Dylan Morgan to lead a seven-hit attack. Blair,
Ryan Krout and
Derek Legeza each had a RBI, Blair, Morgan and
Chase Anderson each scored a run.
Pacific got on the board in the bottom of the first when Anderson led off the inning with a single to center field. He stole second and a
Dustin Meyer walk put runners on first and second for Blair, who singled down the left-field line to score Anderson from second. The Boxers nearly added to its lead, stranding the bases loaded.
Linfield scored its lone run in the fourth, tying the game at 1. Then, Pacific got back in front in the fifth inning with back-to-back extra-base hits by Blair and Krout. With two out, Blair doubled to the gap right-center field. Then, Krout brought Blair when he tripled to put the home team back in front.
Later in the game, again with two outs, Pacific scored as Morgan doubled to left field. Then, he came in to score when Legeza singled to right-center in the sixth to put Pacific ahead by two runs.
The nightcap saw the Boxers lead the whole game despite a late threat by the visitors from McMinnville. The Boxers had just five hits from five-different players in the game.
Brad Altomare took advantage of being inserted into the starting lineup to have a hit and two RBI, plus
Dylan Morgan and
Chase Anderson each scored twice for Pacific.
Pacific raced out to an early 6-1 lead through the first four innings. Altomare had a clutch two out, two RBI single in the fourth that put the Boxers ahead by five runs. The visitors managed to cut into the deficit with a run in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Clinging to a one-run lead, Boxer relievers
Liam Cammall and
Tyler Oscarson in relief of starter
Trevor Quinn, pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed just two hits. Oscarson pitched the final 1.2 innings for the save, striking out a pair in the process.
Pacific will look to complete the series sweep on Sunday with a noon matchup at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
