FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Pacific needed to beat Linfield twice on Championship Sunday to win the Northwest Conference Postseason Tournament, and they did just that, cruising to an 11-4 victory in the first game of the day before grinding out the 8-5 win in the seventh game of the weekend.
The Boxers (27-14, 14-10 NWC) earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Pacific used nine pitchers over the two contests to get the job done, getting some masterful performances from
Kahi Bisho (Senior/Honolulu, HI) and
Matt Komaroski (Sophomore/Jacksonville Beach, FL) along the way.
The bats came alive for Pacific on the final day of the tournament, starting with
Cole Strober (Senior/Pacific City, OR) in the leadoff spot. He went 6-for-11 with four runs scored and two RBI, constantly setting the table at the top of the order.
Isaac Lovings (Senior/Beaverton, OR) made some noise in the middle of the lineup, going 5-for-10 with an RBI.
Ryan Krout (Senior/Washougal, WA) launched his 10
th home run of the year, becoming the first Boxer to reach double-digits.
Tyler Quinn (Junior/Mililani, HI) banged out four hits while filling in behind the plate in game one.
Davis Koester (Sophomore/Trout Lake, WA) put in a heroic weekend for Pacific, making five appearances on the mound.
Game 1
Komaroski got the nod to kick off the final day of the tournament and he gave Pacific the start that they desperately needed, tossing four innings while allowing just one hit.
Krout singled Quinn home in the first inning to give the Boxers an early lead. In the home half of the third, some heads up base running from Krout allowed Strober and Quinn to score on a passed ball, making it 3-0.
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth, Quinn legged out an infield hit and
Max Nealon (Senior/Redmond, WA) would later score on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 5-0.
Linfield scored twice in the fifth but the Boxers immediately replied with five runs in the bottom half when
Brad Altomare (Senior/San Ramon, CA) smacked a base hit up the middle to bring a couple across. Pacific capitalized on some defensive mishaps by the Wildcats' defense and took a 10-2 lead into the sixth frame.
Cayden Okada (Freshman/Waipahu, HI) finished things off by pitching the final 4.2 innings, earning the save and sending Pacific to the decisive game seven.
Game 2
Linfield struck first in the weekend finale, using three hits to score the first run of the game. The Boxer bats would stay hot, however, as Quinn and Yukumoto strung two hits together to even things up. Krout stepped to the plate and blasted a no-doubt home run over the left field wall, giving the Boxers the lead and a huge boost of energy to the home dugout.
Pacific added to their lead in the second when
Patrick Muskat (Redshirt Freshman/Beaverton, OR) and
Andrew Thomas (Senior/Escondido, CA) reached base and Altomare moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Strober continued his excellent weekend by lacing a double to right-center to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
The Wildcats battled back in the third, using a two-run homer from Tanner Jacques to claw within two.
Yukumoto came through with a clutch knock in the fourth to get a run back for Pacific, but Linfield added two more runs in the sixth to whittle the lead to just one run.
Pacific added some much-needed insurance in the bottom of the eighth when base hits from Altomare, Strober, Quinn, and Krout allowed the Boxers to push the lead to three runs.
Kahi Bisho climbed the hill in the seventh and was tasked with closing out the tournament. The right hander was untouchable in his three innings of work, holding the Wildcats hitless while striking out four. Bisho fanned the final hitter, punching the Boxers' ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next
The Boxers will await seeding and placement from the NCAA before they know where they'll be headed for postseason play. Pacific will host Linfield on April 27 at 5 p.m. for a nonconference contest.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on
Facebook,
Instagram and
Twitter.
#GoBoxers
