McMINNVILLE, Ore. - The Whitman College baseball team kickstarted Northwest Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Linfield at Roy Helsler Field. Whitman topped the Wildcats 12-6 in the opener then completed the sweep with an 8-6 win in the nightcap

Game 1
Game one saw Kevin Nakamura deliver a monster performance with three hits, four RBI (two in the fifth inning) and a run. Jerick Nomura put up impressive numbers as well with three runs and three RBI and Brett Williams added three hits and three runs.

On the bump, Travis Craven (1-0) won his first decision in tossing a scoreless first five innings for a final line of three runs, three hits and five strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Zach Cokos led the Wildcats with three hits, with Brian Cromwell and Ayden Allen each adding two hits and a run scored. Starter Cason Cunningham (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs in five innings of work.

After plating a run each in the first and third innings, the Blues exploded for three runs in the fifth and another five in the sixth. After Lucas Thrun scored Jake Wishart on a sac fly to put the Blues up 3-0, Nakamura delivered a two-run single, scoring Nomura and Williams, and Whitman had a five run lead midway through the game.

Meanwhile, Craven was working through the Wildcat order with relative ease. Vorner hit a solo homer in the fourth inning but that did little to shake Craven who retired the side then put down three of his four hitters in the fifth inning.

Craven ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth but had been spotted an 10-run lead after Whitman put five runs on the board in the top half of the inning. David Johnson and Nomura both ripped run-scoring doubles with Nomura's two-bagger plating two to kickstart the scoring and put his team up 10 runs.

Linfield was on the verge of making a game of it, scoring three runs in the eighth inning to shave the lead to 12-6. But after a leadoff error to open the bottom of the ninth, Collin Anderson retired the next three hitters to give the Blues the win.

Game 2
The Blues again jumped out in front led by a three-run sixth inning to build a 5-0 lead. Back-to-back running scoring doubles from Reisman and Anthony Nevoso helped their team to a solid lead.

While Whitman was scoring, Eric Ma (1-0) was cruising through the Wildcat lineup. He pitched to the minimum through three innings and kept Linfield off the scoreboard until the Wildcats exploded for five game-tying runs in the sixth inning. A pair of doubles and a two-RBI single helped tie the game but Ma would hang in there and get through the inning, finishing the outing allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.

The Blues rewarded Ma's effort with a three-run seventh, providing all the remaining run support needed. Tristan Kalnins allowed one run over the seventh and eighth with Milo Mincin working a scoreless ninth.

Reisman delivered two hits, one run and a game-high four RBI with Williams adding two hits and two runs, and Cole Edwards contributing a pair of hits and an RBI.

Starter David Brosius (0-1) was tagged with the loss in only two innings of work. Cokos led the Wildcats with three runs and three RBI.

Whitman and Linfield will play the final of their three-game set on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.