KISSIMMEE, Florida – Linfield experienced both sides of the competitive spectrum Friday during the Wildcats' initial round of games at The Spring Games at Osceola Softball Complex.
 
After defeating Lake Forest with relative ease 8-0 in five innings, the ninth-ranked Wildcats were themselves the victims of a lopsided defeat, falling 7-0 to No. 2 Illinois Wesleyan in an early season matchup of highly regarded teams.
 
Linfield (11-2-1) looks to rebound from its disappointing defeat when the 'Cats meet a pair of Michigan-based teams in Hope and Calvin on Saturday.
 
LINFIELD 8, LAKE FOREST 0, 5 INNINGS
Freshmen Katie Phillips and Abi Proffitt each had a pair of hits, part of a 10-hit onslaught that saw the Wildcats plate three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth to seize command. A three-run sixth inning halted the game when the eight-run rule was invoked.
 
Tanna Benson improved her pitching record to 6-0 in the circle. The senior righty struck out two Foresters and walked one.
 
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 7, LINFIELD 0
Linfield's Shelby Saylors and IWU's Brea Walker waged a pitchers' duel for five innings before Sam Berghoff's solo home run in the top of the sixth changed the complexion of the game entirely.
 
After Berghoff sent a Saylors pitch over the right-field wall to break a scoreless standoff, the Titans reeled of five more hits. IWU scored all seven of its runs during the sixth-inning spree. Linfield's answer was muted as the 'Cats went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning.
 
IWU outhit Linfield by an 11-2 count. Before the game got out of hand, Walker held the Wildcats without a hit over the first six innings.
 
Abi Proffitt and Brooke Snyder accounted for Linfield's four base hits, all of which were singles.
 
Saylors (5-2) suffered just her second loss of the 2019 season.