McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Kamryn Apling tapped four hits and had four stolen bases and
Kelsey Wilkinson contributed a pair of hits and three stolen bases to power the Linfield Wildcats past the Lewis & Clark Pioneers in a Northwest Conference twinbill Sunday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
Tayah Kelley and
Maddy Podnar each recorded complete-game pitching decisions for the top-ranked Wildcats.
Linfield (25-3, 14-2 NWC) scratched out a 4-2 win in Game 1, then overcame a one-run deficit to capture Game 2 by a score of 4-3.
Lewis & Clark, which surprised Linfield on Saturday with a 6-0 shutout, evened their NWC record at 6-6. L&C is 10-8 overall.
GAME 1: Linfield 4, Lewis & Clark 2
Kelley fanned four Pioneers while scattering five hits. The Wildcats sophomore improved her season pitching record to 10-1.
A sacrifice RBI by
Baily Paul and a run-scoring single by freshman
Jenny Ball broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning.
L&C's Alyssa Abe (5-4), who pitched the Pioneers to Saturday's upset win, gave up seven hits and one walk in a losing effort.
Apling went 2 for 3 to carry the 'Cats at the plate. Paul,
Katie Phillips and
Abi Proffitt all hit doubles in contest.
GAME 2: Linfield 4, Lewis & Clark 3
Ball connected on the game-winning RBI single in the fifth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie and lifting the 'Cats to their third win of the four-game set.
Apling and Proffit both recorded two hits to lead Linfield's seven-hit output. Apling swiped three of the Wildcats' eight stolen bases in the game and scored the winning run. Wilkinson had two stolen bases to boost her season total to 23.
The Wildcats got their bats rolling from the very start, tapping four hits off the pitches of Pioneers starter Jane Wilson in the first inning. Proffitt got the Wildcats on the scoreboard in the early going, banging a two-run single down the third-base line.
Podnar (10-2) pitched the complete game to earn the win. She struck out five and walked three while giving up four hits.
Wilson absorbed the loss to fall to 3-4. She gave up nine hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings of work.
NEXT
Linfield heads to Spokane for its longest road trip of the 2021 schedule. The Wildcats face the Whitworth Pirates in a four-game NWC series. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 12 noon. Sunday's contests begin at 11 a.m.
