By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Riley Newman and Dylan Peters held Willamette University to just five hits while earning a combined shuout, as Linfield College downed the Bearcats, 8-0, on Saturday, Feb. 6 at Roy Helser Field. Linfield improved to 2-0 with its second win of the day. Willamette, which lost for the first time this season, fell to 2-1.
Newman pitched six inning and allowed just four hits, with three strikeouts and two walks, to earn the win. Peters picked up a save by tossing the final three innings.
Mason Fessler (So., INF, Woodburn, OR/Blanchet Catholic School) led Willamette by going 2 for 4 at the plate with a single and a double.
Linfield took charge of the game with three runs in the second inning and three more runs in the third.
The Wildcats earned five hits in the bottom of the second. Ryan Pladson singled with one out, reached second on a wild pitch, and eventually scored the first run on an single by Brady Rediger. David Mason and Finn McMichael each added an RBI single later in the inning.
Eric Lawson was hit by a pitch to start the third stanza. Two outs later, Ryan Ross hit an RBI single to drive in Lawson from third base. Alex Hendra-Brown drove home Ross by pounding a double to center field. Hendra-Brown scored on a single by Rediger.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Ben Andrews belted a solo home run to left field. Pladson earned a double, before Ross flied out. Hendra-Brown doubled to score Pladson with the game's final run.
The Bearcats advanced a runner to at least second base in four of the nine innings, including the top of the sixth, when Austin Hagarty (Sr., 2B, Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS) walked and Fessler singled. A fly out by Ty Wyatt (So., INF, Keizer, OR/McNary HS) moved Hagarty to third, but another fly out and a groundout ended the inning.
Pladson and Hendra-Brown each went 2 for 3 and scored twice for the Wildcats. Hendra-Brown also registered two RBIs. Rediger was 2 for 4 with a run and two RBIs, while McMichael went 2 for 5 and earned one RBI.
Fessler was the only Willamette player with more than one hit. Eric Del Prado (So., INF, El Segundo, CA/Loyola HS) contributed a double, while Harrison and Connor Bailey (Fr., OF, San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) each hit a single.
The Bearcats will complete their opening weekend of action on Sunday, Feb. 7 at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, Oregon, against Lewis & Clark College. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m (PST).
