McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Abi Proffitt smacked a pair of doubles and went 5 for 6 at the plate to lead the Linfield Wildcats to victory over the Whitworth Pirates in a pair of high-scoring non-conference games Sunday at muddy Del Smith Stadium. The Wildcats drubbed the Pirates 14-5 in the opener and sent the Pirates home to Spokane with an 11-6 defeat in the nightcap.
Ranked No. 6 in the most recent NFCA Top 25 poll, Linfield (11-1) ran its win streak to eight straight by capping a four-game sweep of their Northwest Conference nemesis.
Whitworth saw its record dip to 2-10.
Maddy Podnar and
Jordan Bennett each earned their second pitching wins of the weekend on Sunday. The pair combined for seven strikeouts while allowing just five earned runs over the 9 1/3 innings of action.
GAME 1: Linfield 14, Whitworth 5, 6 innings
A nine-run fifth inning was the difference in the opener as the Wildcats turned a 4-1 deficit into a 10-4 advantage in the span of 15 minutes.
Profitt went 2 for 3 in the game and
Kamryn Mobley was 3 for 3, including her first career home run in the sixth inning.
Kelsey Wilkinson accounted for two RBIs while swatting her first home run of the season in the game-altering fifth inning.
Podnar allowed five hits before giving way to Bennett to start the sixth inning.
Kylie Harris went the distance in the pitching circle for the Pirates. She surrendered nine hits, five walks and 13 earned runs.
GAME 2: Linfield 11, Whitworth 6
Katie Phillips accounted for three hits and scored a pair of runs, and
Emma Podliska launched her third home run of the year to power Linfield to the series-closing win.
The Wildcats put up four runs in both the first and third innings, opening up an 8-1 lead. The Pirates closed the margin to 8-4, thanks in part to a two-run double by Ashley Bartels. Whitworth remained within striking distance by adding two more runs in the sixth, but Linfield slammed the door with a three-run surge in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Mobley's two-run double to left field.
Tayah Kelley scattered seven hits over the game's first 3 2/3 innings before yielding to Bennett. With the Pirates closing in on the Wildcats in the sixth, Bennett struck out the final two batters to end the game. She earned the win as a result, improving to 3-0 for the season.
Kamryn Apling went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs,
Emma Podliska was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, including her second home run of the year.
The Wildcats piled up 14 hits on Whitworth pitchers Harris and Melanie Laronde, who took the loss to fall to 1-1.
NEXT
Linfield opens Northwest Conference play with a four-game set against the Pacific Boxers in Forest Grove. Saturday's action starts at 12 noon. Sunday's games get underway at 11 a.m.
