LEWISTON, Idaho – It wasn’t for a lack of hits, but the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team’s attempt to complete the series sweep of Linfield College was thwarted on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats scored eight runs in the seventh inning to win 10-7 and snap the No. 9-ranked Warriors’ eight-game win streak.
Lewis-Clark State (now 39-11 overall) collected 20 hits in the game, but defensive miscues combined with pitching struggles opened the door for Linfield (22-15) to rally.
Linfield’s comeback didn’t involve base-clearing blasts or bursts of runs of any sort, and in fact it did not include a single extra-base hit. Instead, like a leaky faucet, it was a slow trickling of runs that the Warriors just weren’t able to shut off.
Linfield had four hits in the inning and was helped by three Warriors errors, two walks, and two wild pitches. Seven of the eight runs scored ended up being unearned.
The rally ruined a decent outing for Warrior starter Austin Pentecost who had kept Linfield’s lineup in check for six innings. He struck out six, and surrendered three runs (two earned).
The seventh inning also outshined a five-run effort the Warriors had in the fourth which was highlighted by a three-run home run by Eric Peterson (pictured above). It was Peterson’s third long ball of the year.
Justin Huckins earned the win for the Wildcats as he threw three scoreless innings in relief. Chris Haddeland pitched two shutout innings to pick up the save.
The Warriors had opportunities to score more runs early in the contest, but was unable to cash in. They left two men on base in five different innings, and stranded three runners in the second.
Saturday marked the fourth time this season that the Warriors have had 20 or more hits in a game.
Jordan Payne, Connor Moore, Peterson, Kyle Knigge, and Aaron DeGuire had three hits apiece for LCSC during its final regular season home game. Linfield had 14 hits including three by Tim Wilson.
The two teams will meet one more time this week, but this time it will be in McMinnville, Ore. The Warriors will play three games against NCAA Division III foes at the event hosted by Linfield. They’ll face the Wildcats on Friday at 3 p.m., George Fox at noon on Saturday, and Pacific Lutheran at noon on Sunday.
