McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield won the battle but lost the war Wednesday night at Del Smith Stadium.
The Wildcats outscored Whitworth 2-1 in a game that was suspended by rain on April 7, but wound up on the losing end of the scoreboard anyway, falling 5-4.
The outcome mattered little to Linfield, which had already clinched its second consecutive Northwest Conference crown and the right to host this week's NWC Tournament.
The Wildcats (32-6-1, 26-3 NWC) meet George Fox Friday at 2 p.m. in the tournament's opening game. Whitworth squares off against Pacific in the other first-day game Friday at 4:30.
Linfield came into Wednesday's contest trailing 4-2 on the scoreboard with the Wildcats coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. A two-run double to center field by
Darian Stedman knotted the game at 4 in the top of the seventh but the Pirates countered with a solo home run by Maddy Thomas in the bottom of the frame.
Pitching both innings on Wednesday, Linfield senior
Tanna Benson was tagged with just her second loss against 14 wins. The only hit allowed by Benson was the home run to Thomas.
Drea Schwaier-Wolf earned the win to improve to 17-3. She gave up three hits and a walk to the Wildcats on Wednesday.
Stedman went 2 for 3 in the game to pace Linfield offensively. Kaylie Lowery was 2 for 4 and Rheanne Lewis went 2 for 3 for the Pirates, who outhit the Wildcats 9-7.
