McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Shelby Saylors and
Eliza Rossman turned in impressive pitching performances while
Cheyenne Fletcher piled up four hits as the Linfield Wildcats thumped the Willamette Bearcats 8-0 and 13-2 in a pair of Northwest Conference contests Saturday at Del Smith Stadium.
Saylors fanned four batters on her way to a one-hit victory in the six-inning opener before Rossman notched 10 strikeouts in the five-inning nightcap.
With the home-field sweep, Linfield upped its season record to 16-6 and 8-2 in conference play. Willamette dropped to 2-9 overall, 2-6 in the NWC.
GAME 1: Linfield 8, Willamette 0, 6 innings
Saylors pitched a one-hit, complete-game shutout and
Chelsea Horita pounded three hits and drove in three runs as the Wildcats won the abbreviated opener, shortened to six innings by the eight-run rule.
Saylors (6-5) struck out four Bearcats and walked three. The only hit of the game the junior righthander yielded was a second-inning single to Sofia Magnani.
In addition to Horita's three hits, three other Wildcats enjoyed multi-hit performances.
Jacinda Swiger and
Melanie Oord both went 2 for 4 and
Paige Smotherman went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs.
The Wildcats swatted four doubles in the game, including two-baggers by Horita, Smotherman, Oord and
Emily Allen.
GAME 2: Linfield 13, Willamette 2, 5 innings
After the spotting the Bearcats a couple of runs in the top of the third inning, the Wildcats put up eight runs in the bottom of the frame, then piled on four more in the fourth to blow the game open.
Rossman (10-0) and
Tanna Benson combined to hold Willamette to six hits and two runs. Rossman went four innings, striking out nine batters and yielding four hits and a walk.
Fletcher went 3 for 3 and scored three times. Allen and
Makenna Clizer both tapped a pair of hits and drove in two runs.
Bailey Hillmick had a pair of hits to lead Willamette at the plate.
Next
The Wildcats and Bearcats complete their four-game season series with a doubleheader Sunday at noon at Del Smith Stadium.
