PORTLAND, Ore. – With a sweep of the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Saturday at the Huston Sports Complex, the Linfield Wildcats clinched at least a share the program's second straight and 14th overall Northwest Conference championship. The wins also assured the Wildcats of hosting the NWC Tournament, which starts Friday at Del Smith Stadium. 
 
Winning 12-7 and 9-2, the eighth-ranked Wildcats improved to 30-5-1 overall and 23-2 in the NWC with three games yet to complete, including a pair of contests suspended by rain. 
 
Wildcats freshmen Abi Proffitt and Katie Phillips each hit two home runs to Linfield to the title-clinching sweep. Proffitt went 5 for 7 while Chelsea Horita, Mckenna Clizer and Kamryn Apling all had four hits. Clizer and Proffitt both drove in six runs.
 
Lewis & Clark dipped to 12-23 overall and 7-18 in NWC play.
 
GAME 1: Linfield 12, Lewis & Clark 7
After Linfield had taken a 3-0 lead in the early innings, Lewis & Clark erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fourth to vault on top 6-3. A grand slam home run by Zoe Juarez helped the Pioneers temporarily turn the tables on the Wildcats.
 
Linfield answered with nine runs over the final three innings as Phillips, Proffitt and Paige Smotherman took turns hitting home runs out of the park.
 
Shelby Saylors allowed six runs and eight hits over four innings, but nonetheless emerged as the winning pitcher, improving to 16-4. Maddy Podnar collected her first career save, tossing the final three innings in relief.
 
Emily Drevdahl went 3 for 4 to lead L&C offensively.
 
GAME 2: Linfield 9, Lewis & Clark 2
Linfield nursed a 2-0 advantage into the fifth inning before doubling that total with Phillips' second home run of afternoon. The sixth inning saw the Wildcats score five more times, getting RBI doubles from both Proffitt and Clizer, plus an RBI single from Kelsey Wilkinson.
 
Lily Moffitt accounted for the Pioneers' only runs, hitting a home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Apling went 2 for 3 and scored two runs while Horita and Clizer also knocked a pair of base hits.
 
Tanna Benson improved to 13-1 in the circle with a complete-game pitching performance. The senior righthander scattered five hits while issuing one walk and striking out out a pair of Pioneers.
 
Drevdahl took the loss for L&C. She gave up eight hits and nine runs, five of them earned.
 
Next
After a day to observe Easter Sunday, the Wildcats and Pioneers will meet Monday at 5:30 in McMinnville to resume their suspended NWC doubleheader from Friday night. The teams will complete Game 1, halted after 1½ innings with Linfield leading 4-0, then play Game 2 immediately following. The Wildcats can secure the NWC title outright with a win in either game on Monday.
 
The Wildcats will also attempt to complete a suspended game with Whitworth at home on Wednesday night. Linfield trails that contest 4-2 in the sixth inning.