May 28, 2010
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APPLETON, WI - Sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Larson (Beaverton, OR) allowed just two hits in eight innings, while junior catcher Cole Bixenman (Federal Way, WA) knocked in three runs to lead the nationally-ranked number 15 Linfield College baseball team over University of Massachusetts Boston, 12-0, on the first day of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III College World Series today at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Applelton, WI. The Wildcats, who are ranked by the American Baseball Coaches Association, improve to 35-11 on the season, while the Beacons' school-record winning streak comes to an end at nine straight as they fall to 32-16. It was the first time since the season opener that UMass Boston failed to score a run in a game.
Linfield will take on State University of New York Cortland, a 9-8 come-from-behind winner over University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in the winners bracket, while UMass Boston plays UW-Stevens Point tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in the losers bracket.
Larson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) hit a clean single to left for the Beacons' first hit of the day. Larson improves to 12-3, while striking out three batters and allowing no walks.
Linfield wasted no time in jumping on UMass Boston, taking advantage of a pair of errors and smacking three hits to score four runs in the top of the first inning. Junior third baseman Dustin Smith (Talent, OR) struck a one-out single up the middle, stole second base and advanced to third when senior shortstop Kelson Brown (La Canada, CA) reached on an error by the UMB shortstop to put runners on the corners. Bixenman made the miscue hurt with a double into left field to score both runners for a 2-0 margin for the Wildcats. Sophomore left fielder Zach Boskovich (Central Point, OR) hit a high pop up that was dropped by the Beacons' starting pitcher to put runners on first and second to set up an RBI double to right field off the bat of senior first baseman Rhett Fenton (Bellingham, WA) to give Linfield a 3-0 lead and put a pair of runners in scoring position. Junior designated hitter Kevin Coleman (Beaverton, OR) plated the fourth run of the frame for the Wildcats with a sacrifice fly to right field.
A UMass Boston error in the third led to Linfield's fourth unearned run of the contest, when Boskovich ended up on second after hitting a high fly ball to left field that popped out of the Beacons' left fielder's glove. Fenton knocked in his second run of the afternoon with a single up the middle for a 5-0 Wildcats' advantage.
Linfield put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth and a two-run seventh to take a 10-0 lead. Junior Eric Evenson (Corvallis, OR) and senior center fielder Tyson Smith (Dallas, OR) each collected one-out singles, Dustin Smith smacked a run-scoring double down the left field line and Brown followed with a sacrifice fly to left field for a 7-0 lead. Dustin Smith moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to left by Bixenman to give the Wildcats an 8-0 cushion. Coleman led off the seventh with a single to left for Linfield's 10th hit of the game to chase UMass Boston starting pitcher James Dalton (Apopka, FL) from the game. Senior catcher Mitch Webb (Clackamas, OR) greeted UMB freshman reliever Tom Cole (Mattapoisett, MA) with a sharp single up the middle, before Evenson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position for Tyson Smith, who delivered a two-run single up the middle to pad the Wildcats' lead to 10-0.
The Beacons threatened in the eighth inning when junior right fielder Jose Roman Santos (Tenares, DR) laced a two-out double down the first base line, but Larson got a ground out to end the threat and the inning.
Linfield capped the scoring in the top of the ninth when Webb stroked a leadoff single to center and senior pinch-hitter Gunnar Cederberg (Tigard, OR) did the same, before sophomore pinch-hitter Jesse Boustead (Dallas, OR) reached on a fielder's choice that loaded the bases when the throw to second was muffed. Dustin Smith worked a walk to force in the 11th run and Brown reached on a fielder's choice to give the Wildcats a 12-0 lead.
Bixenman was 2-6 with a run scored and a stolen base to add to his RBI output for Linfield, while Dustin Smith and Fenton each drove in a pair of runs with multiple hits. McCormack and Santos recorded the only hits for UMass Boston.
Dalton suffered his first loss since March 13 for the Beacons, snapping a streak of eight straight winning decisions. He allowed his highest run total of the year with nine (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks, while fanning four in six innings.
