CLAREMONT, Calif. – Chelsea Horita, Maddy Colson and Darian Stedman all had two hits, and pitcher Shelby Saylors kept Whittier off balance just enough for the Linfield Wildcats to secure a narrow 6-5 victory Friday afternoon at Athena Field on the opening day of action at the NCAA Division III Claremont Regional.

Linfield (36-6-1) produced 11 hits in the game and played error-free defense behind Saylors, leaving the Wildcats as the lone remaining unbeaten team at the three-team regional playoff hosted by Claremont-Mudd Scripps.
 
"It was big to win that first game, especially being the No. 1 seed," said Wildcats coach Jackson Vaughan. "If you lose that first game, you kind of lose your advantage. It was nice to come out and get a little rhythm and see where we match up. We hadn't played Whittier in a couple of years, so it was fun to go back out and play them again."
 
Next for Linfield is CMS in a rematch of last season's McMinnville Regional final. That game gets going at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and possibly earlier, if forecasted afternoon showers remain a concern.
 
Whittier (24-19-1) fell into an elimination game Saturday against CMS. On Friday, the Poets matched Linfield hit for hit but committed three errors and stranded eight runners.
 
Colson doubled to start the game and Stedman delivered a double to left-center field moments later to give Linfield a quick 1-0 advantage. Whittier tied the contest at 1 in the bottom of the frame when Brittany Attaway singled to left, allowing Kacey Whitney enough time to score from third base.
 
In the Linfield second, Horita singled deep to right field, scoring Makenna Clizer from third. Katie Phillips then drew a bases-loaded walk, forcing home Kamryn Apling and pushing the Wildcats' lead to 3-1.
 
Linfield plated three more runs in the fifth. Stedman doubled and Abi Proffitt drove her home, lacing a single through the left side of the Poets infield. Paige Smotherman then reached base on an error as pinch runner Alana Nuttman scooted home. Apling singled on the next play, scoring Smotherman and the Wildcats led 6-1.
 
Whittier closed the gap to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth, notching a run on a sacrifice by Attaway.
 
The Poets made it interesting at the end, loading the bases on Saylors with one out. Naomi Martinez then delivered a two-run single to left, and Janelle Ha followed with another RBI single. Suddenly, the Wildcats were clinging to a 6-5 lead. But Saylors got Ashlei Sanchez to line out into the glove of Proffitt, ending the game.
 
 "Whittier has been hot lately and they certainly showed why," said Wildcats coach Jackson Vaughan. "They kept fighting and competed pretty hard and had some good at-bats they hit some balls deep that we were able to catch and might have changed the game.
 
"Our kids did a good job early of getting out in front," said Vaughan. "I thought we left some opportunities out there early to maybe increase the lead a little more."