The nationally-ranked Linfield Wildcats take on the Lewis & Clark Pioneers at Del Smith Stadium this weekend. The Pioneers have won four straight coming into the weekend. The start time on Saturday on 12 noon and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
 
COVERAGE
Limited number of spectators are allowed on invite-only basis. Fans at home can tune into the Linfield Sports Network to see all four games, Joe Stuart will be on the call. Live statistics are also available.
 
LINFIELD
The Wildcats are 10-1 in the Northwest Conference this season and 22-2 overall. On Wednesday morning, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced that Linfield is ranked No. 1 in the country for the third week in a row.
 
The Wildcats are batting .342 on the season, scoring 8.6 runs per game to lead the conference. Three Wildcats are in top-five on the conference's RBI leaderboard. Abi Proffitt is tied for second with 24, and Katie Phillips and Emma Podliska are each tied for fifth with 23. Kamryn Mobley and Baily Paul stand eighth with 22 runs batted in.
 
Phillips ranks sixth with a batting average of .415, Kamryn Apling is second with an on-base percentage of .556. Kelsey Wilkinson leads the conference 19 stolen bases.
 
The pitching staff has posted an ERA of 2.81, which is second in the NWC. Wildcat pitchers also lead the conference with 134 strikeouts. Maddy Podnar's season ERA of 2.45 is tied for first. Tayah Kelley leads the NWC with 66 strikeouts, Podnar is second with 51. The two starters have nine wins each, to share the conference lead. Relief pitcher Jordan Bennett is fourth with four victories.
 
In 99 documented meetings, the 'Cats lead 91-8 and have won 11 straight games. Two wins this weekend would secure a 23^rd consecutive winning season for Linfield.
 
LEWIS & CLARK
The Pioneers are coming off a four-game sweep of the Willamette Bearcats last weekend. Their team batting average of .331 is second in the conference. The Pios have struck out just 47 times this season, fewest in the conference. The team slugging percentage of .549 is one point shy of the conference lead.
 
Sydney Cross has eight home runs and 17 RBIs on the season and leads the NWC with a slugging percentage of 1.000. Samantha Gildersleeve has six home runs and Olivia Brackin has four.
 
The Pios have the third lowest ERA (4.78) in the conference. Alyssa Abe is among the conference leaders with an ERA of 3.71. Jane Wilson is ninth with an ERA of 5.41. Abe is striking out 4.32 batters per seven innings, which is 10th.
 
UP NEXT
Linfield is back on the road next weekend, heading up to Spokane, Washington, to take on the Whitworth Pirates on April 17-18.