By: Jermaine Williams (Puget Sound Athletics)

TACOMA, Wash. - In the final day of the Puget Sound/Linfield series, Mark Rockey went a combined 3-6 with two homeruns and six RBI's, but it was not enough power as the Loggers dropped the final two games, 11-2 and 10-4, in a Northwest Conference double-header at Logger Field.

In the opener, Puget Sound took a 2-0 lead early as Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) led the game off with a single. Rockey (Montlake Terrace, Wash./Univ. of New Mexico) would later follow with a two-run homerun to left center. That lead would stick until the fourth when Wildcat slugger Stew David lined a double down the leftfield line. Following a pair of hits and RBI's, the ‘cats would have a 3-2 lead.

The sixth inning was the big inning for Linfield as they picked up six runs on four hits , capped by David's two-run homerun down the leftfield line. Linfield would add two more in the top of the seventh, taking the win 11-2

Taylor Volz (Portland, Ore./Grant) went 5.0 innings for the Loggers. He struck out three in a losing effort. Evan Hilberg improved his record to 4-0 in the win. Hilberg also struck out six Loggers in 6.0 inning of work.

The late-inning work from Linfield bled over to the beginning of the second and final game of the series. The ‘cats scored a pair in the first, one in the third, and five in the fifth before the Loggers could answer. Resnik led off the fourth inning by getting hit by the pitch. Following a pop out, Rockey again stepped to the plate and a two-run homerun to left center.

Linfield added a run in both the sixth and seventh inning. The Loggers would not go quietly and mounted a small rally in the seventh. With two outs on the board, Marcus Luther (Newport, Ore./Newport) came in to pinch hit and drew a walk. That was followed by a Travis Hernandez (Burlington, Wash./Burlington-Edison) single, moving Luther into scoring position. Each runner would pick up a base off a passed ball by Linfield hurler Kyle Mosbrucker. This set up Rockey's two-RBI single into right field, scoring Luther and Hernandez. This would wrap up the rally and the series as the Logger flew out to end the game 10-4.

In a losing effort, Colby Robinson (Gig Harbor, Wash./Olympic College) threw 3.0 inning. Garrett Dorn picked up his first win of the season, pitching 6.0 inning for Linfield. He only allowed two runs and struck out eight.

The Loggers will take the diamond again on Wednesday in a single, nine inning game against University of British Columbia (Canada) at 3:00pm.

Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2