Pioneers drop close series to Wildcats; Tucker throws shutout

The Pioneer baseball team dropped the first two games of their weekend series against the Linfield Wildcats, falling 10-4 and 8-2 in McMinnville Saturday. Roland Greene (’11) hit the first home run of his collegiate career for the Pioneers.

In game one, the Pioneers led 3-0 before the potent offense of the 12th ranked team in the nation scored ten unanswered runs.

The Pioneers went up 1-0 in the third. Mike Orr (’08) reached on an error, coming around to score on a double by Jordan Shibata (’08). They scored two more in the fourth on a two-run home run by Roland Greene (’11), the first of his collegiate career.  Linfield scored four in the fifth, four in the sixth, and two in the seventh. The Pioneers scored a final run in the eighth inning, a solo home run by Sami Morgan (’10).

Dan Meehan (’08) took the loss for the Pioneers, pitching five innings, allowing seven runs, all earned, on seven hits with eight walks and two strikeouts.

In game two, the Pioneers went up 2-0 on RBI singles to Ryan Kostecka (’11) and Jordan Shibata in the second inning. Linfield had a pair of three-run innings and two one-run innings to win 8-2.

Alex St. Pierre (’11) took the loss, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on ten hits, walking three, striking out one. Evan Fairmont (’09) pitched the rest of the game, allowing three unearned runs in the final 1.2 innings.

The Pioneers split Sunday’s doubleheader, falling 2-1 in game one and then stunning the #12 team in the country with a 4-0 victory in game two. Jordan Wlodarczyk (’09) hit a three run shot to support Tucker Laurence (’11) in his shutout victory.

In game one, the Pioneers staked starting pitcher Jordon Smiley (’08) to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jordan Shibata reached on an error to lead off the game. He scored on an RBI single from the bat of AJ Brown (’09). The Wildcats tried to counter in the bottom of the inning, with their leadoff hitter doubling to left. The Wildcats bunted him over to third, but Smiley worked around the threat to get out of the inning without giving up a run. He only gave up one other hit, a leadoff single in the third, in the first four innings. In the fifth, Smiley walked the first two batters he faced. A double by the Wildcats’ leadoff hitter, Ellis, scored the two runs to give Linfield a 2-1 lead. They held on to win by that same score.

Smiley worked the complete seven-inning game, allowing just four hits, walking two and striking out four. Jordan Wlodarczyk had two hits in the game for the Pioneers. In game two, Tucker Laurence improved to 6-1 on the season, pitching a complete seven-inning game to earn the win in the Pioneers’ 4-0 victory.

Laurence scattered seven hits, walked two, and struck out four in his shutout. On the offensive side, the Pioneers got some help from the Wildcats to set things up in the third inning. With two outs, Jordan Shibata reached on an error by the third baseman.

Roland Greene walked, giving the Pioneers two aboard for Jordan Wlodarczyk. Wlodarczyk homered to right field, putting the Pioneers up 3-0. They added one more run in the seventh inning. Mike Orr doubled to start the 7th, scoring on a sac fly by Neal Finch (s’09). Mike Orr had two hits in the game. Wlodarczyk had just one hit, but it was a big one – his fourth home run of the season. The Pioneers are now 11-21 (9-19 NWC). The Linfield Wildcats, ranked 12th nationally in Division III, are 25-7 (20-4 NWC). The Pioneers will play a non-Conference game against Division I University of Portland Pilots Wednesday afternoon at the UP campus. They will be back at home next weekend, hosting the Pacific Boxers in a four-game series – the last NWC series of the Pioneers’ season.

Tucker Laurence earned the NWC pitcher of the week honors for his shutout victory of Linfield. He ranks in the top 30 in all of Division III pitchers with 6 victories on the year.