McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Jake Wylie (Jr., Eagle, Idaho) went 6-for-9 on the day and Chris Haddeland (Soph., McMinnville, Ore.) threw a complete game as 22nd-ranked Linfield swept Pacific in its first Northwest Conference matchup of the season Saturday at Roy Helser Field.

Wylie recorded two doubles, six RBI and scored a run for the Wildcats. Corey VanDomelen (Soph., Tigard, Ore.) turned in an impressive 5-for-8 with three RBI, four runs scored and nine putouts at shortstop. Nick Fisher (Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) hit his second home run of 2013, Clayton Truex (Jr., Kirkland, Wash.) contributed his first, and Linfield improved to 9-1 on the season with a 2-0 conference record.

Nick Tasaka had the Boxers’ only two extra base hits for the afternoon with a pair of doubles. Pacific was outhit by Linfield 22-13, and the Boxers committed four errors. Pacific fell to 0-8 on the season overall, and 0-2 in NWC play.

Game 1: Linfield 10, Pacific 2
Wylie went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with a double, one run scored and five RBI, and Haddeland went the distance for the first time in his career. Neither of the two runs Haddeland allowed were earned, and the Boxers managed just four hits and three walks as the righty struck out eight.

Pacific starter Rob Dittrick, a first team all-NWC selection as a junior a year ago, lasted seven innings, allowing six runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Tim Wilson (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) drew a leadoff walk in the Wildcats’ half of the first, and moved to second thanks to a sacrifice bunt from VanDomelen. Wylie stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered a clutch base hit up the middle to bring home the runner and give Linfield the early 1-0 lead.

Haddeland (2-1, 1.23 ERA) mowed down the first six Pacific hitters in order, throwing just 24 pitches through the first two frames. The sophomore fought through a leadoff walk in the third and struck out back-to-back hitters on called third strikes to end the inning.

Donnie Bradley led off the top of the fourth with a sharp ground ball up the middle. Wilson ranged to his right and made a backhanded stop before throwing to Truex at first to beat the runner to the bag. Haddeland worked two more ground balls out of Pacific in the inning.

After Dittrick set down Nate McClellan (Jr., Shoreline, Wash.) on a ground ball to start the fourth, Wylie poked a pitch into shallow right field for his second hit of the game. Kyle Chamberlain (Sr., Portland, Ore.) followed with an impressive 11-pitch at-bat that ended with a line drive single to left center to put runners at the corners. Dittrick escaped the inning with a harmless fly ball, but the right-hander’s pitch count climbed above 60.

Pacific threatened in the fifth, as Tasaka drew a leadoff walk and Anson Arakaki reached on a bunt when Truex dropped the throw from Haddeland. The Boxers successfully executed a squeeze play, and Charlie Gaff broke up Haddeland’s bid for a no-hitter with an RBI single up the middle that gave Pacific a 2-1 lead.

In the fifth, Fisher sent a deep fly ball into left center that appeared to spell trouble for Pacific. Gaff got a good jump on the ball, however, and pulled it in as he crashed into the fence to rob Linfield’s right fielder of a double.

Wylie came through again in the sixth, plating VanDomelen with a base hit to center that knotted the score at 2-2. Lindell and Chamberlain followed with base hits to center, and the bases were loaded for Truex. A ground ball brought home Wylie and Linfield regained the lead, 3-2.

The ‘Cats extended the spread in their half of the seventh, producing three runs on RBI base hits from VanDomelen and Wylie, and a sacrifice fly from Kramer Lindell (Jr., West Linn, Ore.).

Pacific put runners on first and second in the eighth, but Haddeland coaxed a tailor-made double play ball off the bat of Trux French. VanDomelen fed the ball to Michael Hopp (Sr., Portland, Ore.), who relayed it to Truex to end the inning.

Truex added a run in the bottom of the eighth for good measure, sending a high fly ball beyond the left field fence for his first home run of the season. The ‘Cats scored three more before the side was retired, ensuring an insurmountable 10-2 advantage.

Game 2: Linfield 6, Pacific 1
Aaron Thomassen (Soph., Seattle, Wash.) threw six solid innings for Linfield to push the Wildcats to their ninth straight victory. The righty allowed one run on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout, improving to 3-0 on the season with a 0.95 ERA.

Pacific starter Matt Delegato took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits with four walks over six innings.

Linfield wasted no time picking up where it left off, as back-to-back base hits from Wilson and VanDomelen in the first put runners on the corners for McClellan. The junior left fielder drove the ball to left deep enough to plate Wilson, and Wylie followed with his sixth hit of the day, an RBI double into the left-field corner.

The ‘Cats remained aggressive at the plate in the second, looking to provide more support for Thomassen. Fisher worked the count to 2-2 before sending a ball onto the train tracks past the left-field fence for his second home run of the season.

Pacific responded in the third, as Tasaka led off the inning with a double to left field. With two outs, Bradley sent the ball back up the middle to bring Tasaka home and make the score 3-1.

VanDomelen punched a ball into center past the Boxers’ drawn-in infield that plated two more runs for the ‘Cats and made the score 5-1 in the fourth.

Thomassen worked himself into a stressful fifth inning, as the Boxers put runners on first and second with one out. The sophomore got out of the inning unscathed, however, with a fly out to Fisher and a nice play by Jordan Harlow (Sr., Baker City, Ore.) on a ground ball.

Justin Huckins (Jr., Bend, Ore.) took over in the seventh inning and threw three shutout innings to close out the game and earn the save.

‘CAT SCRATCH: Wilson, VanDomelen and Fisher each had two stolen bases on the day…Huckins has been nearly perfect in 2013, allowing just three hits and no earned runs while striking out eight in 12 innings of relief.

HISTORY LESSON: Wylie became the first Wildcat to record five hits in a single game since Kelson Brown achieved the feat back on Feb. 20, 2010 against Saint Martin’s…Wylie joined a long list of players to record six hits in a doubleheader over the past decade…the only player to notch seven hits in a doubleheader during that span was Tommy Paterson, who etched his name in the record books on March 13, 2004 against Puget Sound…Linfield has had five other streaks of at least nine consecutive wins since 2003…the largest in that period was a massive 17-game stretch that lasted exactly one month, from March 1 to April 1, 2009.

NEXT UP: The ‘Cats and Boxers wrap up the season series Sunday at noon in McMinnville. Linfield will attempt to complete the sweep and extend its winning streak into double digits.