Ninth-Inning Homer Seals Linfield Sweep of Concordia
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Despite taking early leads in both contests, Concordia opened its season with a pair of losses at Linfield College on Saturday.
Linfield defeated Concordia 4-1 to start the day and rallied from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 7-6 win in the nightcap.
In the opener, Ben Lanier connected for the first Cavalier hit of the season, a solo home run in the top of the first to give the Cavaliers an early 1-0 lead. Concordia would not cross the plate again as the Linfield pitching staff held the Cavs to five additional hits scattered across the next eight innings.
With the bat, Linfield took its first lead in the bottom of the second behind RBIs by Don Bard and Jordan Boustad. The Wildcats would tack on additional runs in the fourth and the fifth inning to claim the 4-1 win in both teams season opener.
CU starter Jason Grisham (0-1) took the loss, walking three with no strikeouts in three innings of action. Brian Clark collected the win after allowing four hits and one run in five innings of work.
In the second game, Stew Davis delivered a walkoff homer over the right-field fence, rescuing the Wildcats from a three-run hole in the bottom of the ninth. Moments earlier, Kevin Millsnotched an RBI single that pulled the Wildcats to within 6-3.
Davis and Mills each went 2-for-5 in the game as Linfield rolled up 10 hits.
The Wildcats spotted Concordia two runs, before Bachofner’s three-run homer over the center-field fence put the hosts in front 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
Lanier hit his second home run of the afternoon shortly thereafter, a two-run blast to center field that swung the game’s momentum back into the hands of the Cavaliers.
Jimmy Rudig stretched Concordia’s lead to 6-3 with two-run homer off Wildcats reliever Reese McCulley.
McCulley (1-0) earned the win. Steven Taft (0-1), the Cavaliers’ fourth reliever, took the loss after surrendering the deciding hit.
Concordia returns to the field on Feb. 22 when it faces the University of Puget Sound in McMinnville. Opening pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.