FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The Pacific bats pounced on
Shelby Saylors in a 10-2 win over Linfield in a Game 1 victory of a Northwest Conference doubleheader Friday night, but the Wildcats bounced back in Game 2, out-slugging the Boxers with 13 hits and 14 runs to even the series.
Tanna Benson willed her way to her 11th win of the season, and the Linfield bats came alive in the Game 2 victory.
Pacific now stands at 23-10 and 17-5 in the NWC. Linfield remains at the top of the conference rankings, moving to 26-5-1 and 19-2 in the NWC.
GAME 1: Pacific 10, Linfield 2, 6 innings
Pacific tallied 14 hits, including two doubles, to blow past the Wildcats 10-2 in six innings.
With a little bit of small ball and two errors by the Linfield defense, the Boxers struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Jill Uyeda reached base after a throwing error by
Abi Proffitt. Katelyn Macaitis-Smith then singled to the pitcher on a bunt to advance Uyeda to second base. Uyeda and Macaitis-Smith both stole on the next batter, and a throwing error by Linfield's
Shakayla Snyder would bring Uyeda home.
The Boxers would add four more runs to their lead in the bottom of the third, tallying four hits and capitalizing on two more Linfield errors. The first run came from a bases loaded throwing error. Macaitis-Smith and Taylor Nishimura both followed with singles to right field to bring in three more runs.
Linfield started a comeback in the top of the fourth, but that would be the only runs scored the entire game for the Wildcats. A single to center field off the bat of
Paige Smotherman would bring in
Makenna Clizer, who walked earlier in the inning and advanced to third on a double by Proffitt.
Chelsea Horita then grounded out to second base to score Proffitt from third.
Pacific added two more runs in the fifth off of three hits and another error by the Wildcats. The Boxers blew the game open with three more runs in the sixth to force an 8-run mercy rule victory.
Saylors gave up 14 hits and 10 runs in the loss. The Linfield ace received her fourth loss of the season to drop to 14-4.
Carly Bursch picked up the win to improve to 4-1 on the season. She and Cheyenne Datan allowed just three hits to tame the Linfield bats.
Katie Phillips, Proffitt and Smotherman were the only three Linfield batters to tally hits in the game.
GAME 2: Linfield 14, Pacific 3, 6 innings
Linfield's offense turned on the jets to bounce back from the Game 1 loss. The Wildcats put up 13 hits to back up Benson to a 14-3 win over Pacific in six innings.
Benson tossed five innings, giving up three runs and six hits to pick up her 11th win of the season, improving her record to 11-1.
The Wildcats put up five runs in the top of the third to make an early statement.
Kamryn Apling led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield.
Chelsea Horita bunted Apling over, and
Maddy Colson singled to move Apling to third. Colson then stole second base and Apling scored on the throw down. Later in the third inning,
Katie Phillips homered for the seventh time this season to center field to bring in two more runs.
The Wildcats weren't finished with the third inning just yet.
Kelsey Wilkinson started another rally by singling up the middle then stealing second base. That set up a two-run bomb off the bat of
Darian Stedman to put Linfield up by five runs. It was Stedman's ninth homer of the season.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Apling got the ball rolling for the Wildcats once again, blasting a solo shot over the right field fence to extend Linfield's lead to six runs. It was the catcher's first career home run.
The Boxers put up three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game close. Taylor Nishimura singled down the right field line. She was then called out later in the inning in a rundown after a fake throw to first base by Linfield's Horita. Nicole Martinez then doubled to left center, and Amanda Machado and Hailey Miller both singled to right field to plate the Boxers' three runs.
The Wildcats looked to make a statement in the sixth. Stedman, Proffitt, Horita, and Colson all singled to bring in five runs for the Wildcats.
Katie Phillips also joined the slugfest with a double to left center that drove in two more runs. Linfield would add a total of eight runs off of seven hits in the inning to go up 14-3.
Eliza Rossman entered the game in the sixth inning to close for the Wildcats. She allowed just two hits in the outing.
Katie Phillips went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Apling continued her hot streak, hitting 2-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored. Colson also went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Next
Linfield and Pacific are scheduled to finish the series Sunday in Forest Grove with another doubleheader. First pitch is set for noon.
