Grant Lucas
Review staff writer

The Lewis Clark State Warriors halted the Linfield baseball team’s 17-game streak April 1.
Since March 14, Linfield averaged more than 10 hits per game while outscoring its opponents by 80 runs entering Wednesday’s match.
During the two-week span in which the Wildcats strung 11 wins together, sophomore catcher Cole Bixenman has led the way, batting .394 with 18 runs batted in and 10 runs scored. Sophomore infielder Eric Evenson contributed with 17 runs scored and a .375 batting average.
In the three-game series against California State East Bay on March 28-29, Linfield tallied 31 hits and 22 runs, but it had to overcome a late Pioneer rally to take the first game.
The two-game finale the following day was postponed to March 29 because of rain, but that didn’t hinder Linfield’s performance.
Bixenman lifted the Wildcats to an early lead, hitting a two-run blast in the first inning. The ’Cats scored two more runs scored soon after, giving Linfield a four-run lead.
After an Evenson walk and a double by sophomore infielder Dustin Smith, Bixenman put the game away with a three-run home run.
In the final game of the series, Pioneer senior pitcher Kenneth Cedillo held the ’Cats scoreless for three innings.
Cal State East Bay tallied the first run in the top of the fourth inning when junior outfielder Stephen Gatehouse scored from second on an error.
The Wildcats quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning. Davis and Boskovich drew two-out walks, bringing senior first baseman Don Bard to the plate. Davis then scored on a Bard single to center field.
Linfield pulled away in the sixth inning with the power of the long ball. Bard and junior outfielder Tyson Smith each hit two-run homers, putting the Wildcats ahead for good.
Bard was named the Northwest Conference Hitter of the Week batting .545 against the Pioneers with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs.
The Wildcats hosted the Warriors of Lewis Clark State College on April 1. This see-saw contest was taken over by a Warrior four-run eighth inning.
The bases were quickly loaded after three of the first four LC State hitters connected with singles. Freshman pinch-hitter Trent Bridges ripped a RBI single to left, bringing the Warriors within a run.
After a sacrifice fly brought in the tying run, junior infielder Josh Ashenbrenner drove in two runs with a double off the left field wall, that gave LC State the lead.
Linfield was unable to recover in the bottom of the eighth or the ninth inning as only one Wildcat reached base.
The loss brought the Wildcats, who are ranked 11th in the nation according to d3baseball.com, to 20-4 overall while the three-time defending NAIA champions improve to 17-6.
The ’Cats get back to NWC play April 4 when they open up the first of a four-game series against the Pacific Boxers at Roy Helser Field.