SPOKANE, Wash.—Wyatt Hurley hit a walk-off, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lift #2 Linfield University past #3 Lewis & Clark College baseball 8-7 in the first game of the 2026 Northwest Conference Tournament.
THE BASICS
#2 Linfield 8, #3 Lewis & Clark 7
(Lewis & Clark 22-19)
(Linfield 24-17)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The River Otters raced out to a 6-0 lead after 1.5 innings, but Linfield scored two runs in four of their final eight at-bats, to come all the way back and end Lewis & Clark's season. The River Otters wrap up the year 22-19 and finish with the seventh-most wins in program history.
Junior
Michael Aikawa led the offense with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI. Aikawa hit his team-leading, seventh home run of the season - as part of the six-run second inning.
Junior
Bret Potter added a team-high three hits, a run scored, an RBI and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Junior
Owen Eisen earned the start on the mound and went three innings. He allowed seven hits, no walks and four runs (three earned) and chipped in two strikeouts.
Senior
Nate Kerr came on threw four innings of relief. Kerr scattered three hits, no walks and two runs and struck out four batters. Sophomore
Matt Stanislavsky worked around a leadoff single in the eighth and struck out one in a scoreless frame. Potter took his first loss of the season. He gave up three hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Lewis & Clark jumped all over Linfield ace Matthew Tacheny in the top of the second. The River Otters sent all nine batters to plate and scored six runs on four hits and two walks.
First year
Garrett Lewis started the frame with a double and sophomore
Jacob Shannon-Wilkerson (walk) and senior
Brandon Gonzaga (single) reached with one out to load the bases. Lewis & Clark grabbed a 1-0 lead when junior
Evyn Lewis hit into a fielder's choice and beat the errant throw to first for a potential double play. The River Otters made it 2-0 on a delayed double steal, that saw Shannon-Wilkerson slide in ahead of the throw home from second base. After junior
Eli Steinhaus worked a walk, Aikawa crushed a three-run homer to left field to make it 5-0. Potter followed with a solo shot of his own for back-to-back jacks and a 6-0 lead.
Linfield responded with two runs in each of the next two frames. The Wildcats made it 6-1 on a Lewis & Clark error and Ely Kennel cut the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI single. Hurley posted the first two of his six RBI on the day, when he laced a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the third.
Lewis & Clark responded in the top of the fifth. Aikawa opened the frame with a single to center and Potter ripped a double just inside the left-field line to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Sophomore
Will Michelman made it 7-4 with an RBI single to right field. Linfield reliever Carter Studer retired the next three batters to keep the Wildcats within striking distance.
With two down in the bottom of the fifth, Hurley hit a two-run homer to left field to shave the deficit to 7-6.
Kerr would keep Linfield at bay for the next two frames, including stranding the tying run at third base in the seventh.
Lewis & Clark had a chance to extend their lead in the eighth but Linfield All-Conference reliever Zach Hampson induced a fly out to left to leave two runners stranded in scoring position.
The Wildcats came through with one final rally in the bottom of the ninth. With two down and a runner on second, Rylan Gullard hit a line drive up the middle that went off an umpire and into center field. Linfield initially thought that they had tied the game but the umpires sent Auston Gonia back to second base. Linfield moved both runners up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Hurley came through with a single to center field and Gullard slid in ahead of the throw home for a walk-off win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Potter set the program record for hits in a single-season with 67. He tied Scott Russell's program record of 65 hits in the first inning and set the program record with his solo shot in the second.
- Gonzaga played in his 154th career game on Friday. He broke a tie with Dan Ruhl ('92) for second all-time in program history for career games played. He finishes his career second in games played and at-bats (597), fourth in steals (53), tied for sixth in runs (124) and ninth in hits (166).
- Kerr moved into seventh place in program history with his 54th career pitching appearance.
- Eisen went over 200 innings for his career (201.1) against Linfield.
- Today's game marked Lewis & Clark's second-ever NWC Tournament appearance (2023). The River Otters are now 4-2 all-time in NWC Tournament player.
- Friday's contest marked the final career games for Lewis & Clark seniors Ryan Sanderson, Joaquin Sandoval, Gonzaga and Kerr.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark anticipates returning 26 players to next year's team – including all three of their All-Conference honorees.
