McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield completed a three-game sweep of the Northwest Conference Softball Tournament on Sunday, polishing off Whitworth 5-1 in the championship game to earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III regional playoffs.
 
Linfield (35-6-1), which also beat George Fox on Friday, knocked off Whitworth for the second straight day and fifth time in six tries this season. Sunday's victory clinched a second consecutive NWC Tournament title.
 
Freshman Katie Phillips went 2 for 3 at the plate, including an RBI double in the first inning to break the ice and a solo home run, her 10th of the season, in the fifth.
 
Shelby Saylors earned the complete-game victory, improving to 20-4. The senior righthander did not yield a single walk while striking out six Pirates, including the final two batters to end the game.
 
Linfield piled up 10 hits to Whitworth's five. The 'Cats played spotless defense behind Saylors while the Pirates were charged with four errors.
 
After Phillips doubled to give Linfield the early 1-0 lead, Makenna Clizer swatted a home run in the second inning and Abi Proffitt added an RBI single in the third.
 
Phillips pushed the Linfield lead to 4-0 with her leadoff home run in the fifth then added a sacrifice RBI in the sixth.
 
Whitworth scored its only run on pinch hitter Delayna Waite's solo home run in the top of the sixth.
 
Drea Schwaier-Wolf was tagged with the loss, just her fourth of the season against 19 wins.
 
Next
Linfield must wait until Monday, May 6, to learn its regional playoff opponent and destination. The NCAA is expected to announce the full playoff field at 9 a.m. PDT that day on NCAA.com.