PORTLAND, Ore. – Tim Wilson (Jr., Redmond, Wash.), Jake Wylie (Jr., Eagle, Idaho) and Kramer Lindell (Jr., West Linn, Ore.) each had five hits and Linfield pitchers combined to strike out 19 Lewis & Clark batters in a pair of Wildcat victories over the Pioneers Saturday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex.

Wilson, Lindell and Nate McClellan (Jr., Shoreline, Wash.) each drove in four runs on the day as the ‘Cats benefitted from three home runs in Game 1 and nine total extra-base hits. Chris Haddeland (Soph., McMinnville, Ore.) threw six solid innings in Game 1 and Aaron Thomassen (Soph., Seattle, Wash.) struck out 11 Pios in Game 2 as the sophomore tandem both earned their 10th wins of the season. No. 1 Linfield is now 31-5 on the season and moved to 20-3 in the NWC with the victories.

Lewis & Clark leadoff hitter Geoff Wertz went 6-for-10 on the day and scored a pair of runs to pace the Pios offensively. Lewis & Clark fell to 9-30 on the season with the losses and remained at the bottom of the NWC with a conference record of 6-17.

Game 1: Linfield 18, Lewis & Clark 5
Linfield scored in each of the final five innings to turn a close game into a blowout as Wilson, Wylie and Nick Fisher (Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) each homered and drove in seven runs combined. The ‘Cats ran wild on the base paths as Wilson and Fisher each had four steals to contribute to 13 total in Game 1.

Haddeland allowed five runs – two earned – on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Garett Speyer (Jr., Vancouver, Wash.) threw three shutout innings to finish the game, allowing just one hit in his solid outing.

Aaron Landecker threw five innings for the Pios, allowing five runs on five hits with seven walks and a pair of strikeouts.

The ‘Cats got to work right away, as Wilson singled and stole second in the first before scoring on a double by VanDomelen. Wylie walked and VanDomelen stole third, and Lindell followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

McClellan reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the second, and Linfield’s designated hitter came around to score on a double-steal play to put the ‘Cats up by three.

Lindell and Fisher singled and Clayton Truex (Jr., Kirkland, Wash.) walked to load the bases in the top of the third. Landecker got out of the jam with minimal damage, as Linfield’s sole run in the frame came on a wild pitch.

The Pios responded in the bottom of the inning when Matthew Cathcart reached on a rare miscue by Wildcat third baseman Jordan Harlow (Sr., Baker City, Ore.). Back-to-back singles loaded the bases for Lewis & Clark, and Mike Kinkenon came through with a big two-run double to left center that plated the Pios’ first two runs of the day. Andrew Traver sent an RBI single through the left side and the Pios narrowed Linfield’s lead to 4-3.

Another well-executed double steal by the ‘Cats brought home their fifth run in the fifth and the Pios manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning to keep pace.

Linfield blew the game open in the sixth with seven runs on seven hits. Wilson got it started with a single and a stolen base and VanDomelen walked to put runners on the corners. RBI-hits from Wylie, Lindell, Truex, McClellan, Harlow and Wilson kept the merry-go-round going until VanDomelen finally ended the inning with a groundout.

Lewis & Clark picked up a run on an RBI groundout in the sixth, but Linfield remained well in control of the game.

Wylie and Fisher each homered in the seventh to tack on two more runs, and Wilson hit a three-run shot in the eighth to make the score 17-5. Fisher scored on a double play in the ninth, and Speyer shut down the Pios in order in the bottom of the inning to finish the game.

Game 2: Linfield 11, Lewis & Clark 3
Aaron Thomassen (Soph., Seattle, Wash.) mowed down the Pios lineup with 11 strikeouts in seven innings. The sophomore gave up two runs on eight hits with no walks, and every Pioneer struck out at least once except Kinkenon.

Lewis & Clark starter John Trupin turned in 7 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs – five earned – on 14 hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Neither team scored through the first three frames as both starters settled into a groove. Each team suffered a momentum-draining double play early on as Hayden Higger lined into a double play to end the second and Wilson followed suit to end the top of the third.

Linfield jumped ahead with a four-run fourth and never looked back. VanDomelen singled, Wilson doubled and Lindell walked to load the bases. McClellan drove a double down the right field line for a pair of runs, and Truex tacked on another with a sacrifice fly to right. A two-out base hit from Harlow brought home McClellan and Linfield had a comfortable 4-0 advantage.

Thomassen followed with a shutdown inning in the bottom of the inning, and the ‘Cats added one more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Wylie.

Lewis & Clark got on the board in the sixth by route of a two-out rally. Thomassen hit a batter and Eric Hyun singled and moved to second on an error. Kinkenon drove in both runners with a double to right, but Thomassen struck out Corey Davis to limit the damage to two runs.

Both teams put runners on in the seventh but failed to score as each pitcher kept his composure to work out of the jam.

Linfield pulled away in the eighth as Harlow shot a ground ball through the left side and Wilson reached on an error that put runners on second and third. Wylie walked to load the bases and Lindell drove in two more with a double to center. Fisher reached on an error that allowed Lindell to score, and McClellan finished the two-out burst with a base hit to center that plated Fisher and made the score 10-2 in favor of the ‘Cats.

Michael Hopp (Sr., Portland, Ore.) walked with one out in the top of the ninth and Wilson reached on the Pios’ fifth error of the game. VanDomelen came through with an RBI-single up the middle but Linfield didn’t score after that.

Lewis & Clark added an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but Wildcat reliever Joseph Stevick (Soph., Bremerton, Wash.) got Traver to ground into a game-ending double play.

‘CAT SCRATCH: Lewis & Clark did not hold a lead in either game…Linfield has had winning streaks of eight or more games three separate times this season…the ‘Cats have not lost back-to-back games in 2013…Thomassen retired eight straight Pios in a stretch during the third-through-fifth innings…Linfield batters struck out just six times on the day.

NEXT UP: The series wraps up Sunday with Game 3 scheduled for noon in Portland.