FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Third-ranked Linfield secured two wins over Pacific in decidedly different ways Saturday Pacific's Sherman/Larkins Stadium, routing the Boxers 14-2 in six innings before rallying from five runs down to triumph 8-7 in the second game of in a Northwest Conference twinbill.
Stretching its win streak to 10 games, Linfield moved to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the NWC. Pacific saw its record slip to 5-7 and 0-2 in NWC play.
GAME 1: Linfield 14, Pacific 2, 6 innings
The Wildcats piled up a dozen hits and took advantage of our Boxers errors en route to the lopsided Game 1 decision.
Katie Phillips,
Katrina Johns and
Kamryn Mobley all took turns hitting home runs.
Baily Paul went 2 for 4 with a double and drove in a game-high four runs.
Maddy Podnar earned the complete-game victory in the pitching circle. She scattered six hits and struck out three to improve her season record to 5-1.
Leading 4-1, the Wildcats generated five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.
GAME 2: Linfield 8, Pacific 7
The 'Cats jumped in front 2-0 before Pacific rallied to take a 3-2 advantage in the top of the third inning. The Boxers added four more runs in the fourth inning to open up a commanding 7-2 advantage.
The 'Cats did their best to fight back in the fifth as
Amanda Reser delivered a two-run double and Phillips followed with a double to score Reser, pulling the 'Cats to within three, 7-4.
Kamryn Apling tapped a grounder to first base, pushing
Kelsey Wilkinson home from third base.
In the seventh, the Wildcats put runners at first and second with two outs.
Chloe McDaniel then singled to right field to drive in a run. A passed ball opened the door for Mobley to score from third base. Linfield took its only lead of the game minutes later when Reser advanced to third on the passed ball, then scored on a Pacific fielding error.
Pacific pounded 14 hits on Linfield pitchers Tayah Kelly and
Jordan Bennett.
Wilkinson and Podliska each had a pair of hits for the 'Cats, who accounted for eight hits in the game.
Bennett earned the win in relief to improve to 4-0.
COMING UP
Linfield and Pacific resume their four-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
