SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth Pirates hit two two-run home runs in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Diana Marks Field to win 8-4 over the Linfield Wildcats, who won the first game by a score of 7-4.
The split on Saturday moves the Wildcats' record to 26-4 overall and 15-3 in the Northwest Conference, which is tied with George Fox for the best winning percentage. Whitworth is 9-15 overall and 7-5 in the NWC.
GAME 1: Linfield 7, Whitworth 4
The Wildcats started the scoring right away with
Kelsey Wilkinson leading off the game with a double and coming around to score on a double by
Kamryn Apling. Wilkinson collected an RBI of her own in the second inning, driving in
Kamryn Mobley to make it 2-0.
Amanda Reser scored the third run of the game by stealing home plate.
Whitworth scored two in the bottom of the third. First was an RBI double by Brynn Radke and Kylie Bardwell scored on a hit by pitch to make it 3-2.
Reser drove in Mobley in the fourth to make it 4-2 and Wilkinson picked up another RBI, bringing home Reser. In the bottom of the fourth, Mattea Nelson scored for the Pirates on a throwing error by the Wildcats.
The Pirates scored a run in the bottom of the sixth off the bat off Maddy Thomas that scored Sara Gayer.
In the fifth,
Katrina Johns plated
Katie Phillips on an RBI double, she picked up another RBI in the top of the seventh on a base hit that scored
Chloe McDaniel.
Wilkinson went 3 for 3 with a stolen base in the game. Johns also had two hits.
On the mound for the Wildcats was
Maddy Podnar, who collected her 11
th win of the season by tossing six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, four walks and two strikeouts.
Jordan Bennett pitched the seventh and got the save. She allowed a walk in the inning.
For the Pirates, Thomas was the only player with multiple hits. Starting pitcher Drea Schwaier-Wolf got credited with the loss, she pitched five innings and gave up six runs on eight hits and two walks.
GAME 2: Whitworth 8, Linfield 4
Wilkinson led off the second game as well with a double and Apling drove her home once again. Wilkinson had five hits on Saturday afternoon.
In the second inning,
Baily Paul stole third base and then scored on a throwing error by the Pirates. Wilkinson followed with another RBI, this time it was Reser that scored the run.
Whitworth came back and took the lead in the bottom of the second. Rylee Gentner reached on a fielder's choice, scoring on the play was Thomas. Mattea Nelson hit an RBI single that scored Heather Menzer.
Gentner scored on a fielding error by Linfield and Jazz Johnson scored on a sacrifice fly by Radke.
Linfield tied the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by
Abi Proffitt that scored Phillips.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Thomas earned a walk to get on base. Menzer followed with a two-run home run to make it 6-4. Bardwell got on base with a single and came around to score on a two-run long shot by Gentner.
Tayah Kelley was on the mound for the 'Cats in game two, she got just her second loss of the season and gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks. She struck out one batter.
Apling, Paul and Wilkinson collected two hits in the game. Paul also stole two bases. For the Pirates, Thomas, Menzer and Gentner had multi-hit games.
Corinne Vasiloff pitched five innings for the Bucs, she gave up four earned runs on 10 hits, three walks and two strikeouts and also got credited with the win. Kylie Harris pitched two perfect innings to close it out and got the save in game two.
UP NEXT
The two teams meet again in Spokane on Sunday. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is set for 11 a.m.
