EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Linfield's quest for a 10th NCAA Division III regional softball championship was run off the rails Sunday morning in the semifinal game of the Eau Claire Regional at Bollinger Field.
 
The Wildcats (38-9) won their opening two games to begin the tournament before running into talented squads from Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Piedmont.
 
During Sunday's semifinal, Piedmont grabbed a 2-1 lead after the first inning and held off rallies by Linfield on the way to a 7-5 victory.
 
The Lions outhit the Wildcats 8-6 and took advantage of three Linfield errors to advance to the championship game against UW-Oshkosh.
 
Linfield notched the game's first run in the opening frame when Jenny Ball's ground out allowed Kelsey Wilkinson to score.
 
The Lions answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the stanza. Kara Taylor's single to left-center field pushed Emma McBrayer and Katelyn Perry across home plate.
 
Piedmont extended its lead to 5-1 in the third inning when Isley singled to plate Rebekah Stegmayer. On the ensuing at-bat, Perry followed with a two-run homer off the pitch of Wildcats starter Maddy Podnar.
 
The teams traded single runs in the fourth before Linfield closed the gap to 6-5 with a three-run burst in the fifth. Baily Paul and Ball took turns driving in runs. And after Martina Maloch took over for McBrayer in the pitching circle, Katrina Johns belted a double to drive home Ball.
 
But the Wildcats couldn't produce the tying run, leaving two runners stranded on base in the fifth and another in the seventh.
 
Paul and Johns each recorded two hits for the 'Cats. Paul and Kelsey Wilkinson both scored pair of runs. Wilkinson added a pair of stolen bases.
 
Podnar (13-5), one of five Wildcat seniors, pitched her final game in a Linfield uniform. She tossed the first two innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs.
 
McBrayer earned the win to raise her record to 13-9. She walked four Wildcats and struck out two. Isley went 3 for 4 and Perry was 2 for 3.
 
In addition to Podnar, the Wildcats will bid farewell to seniors Wilkinson, Shakayla Snyder and Amanda Reser, as well as graduate student Kamryn Apling.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Named to the all-Eau Claire Regional Tournament team were catcher Kamryn Apling, designated player Jenny Ball and outfielder Katie Phillips.
 
Linfield University - Kamryn Apling
Wisconsin-Oshkosh - Gabby Buikema
Linfield University - Jenny Ball
Piedmont College - Kaitlin Isley
Alfred University - Ashley Lugo
Piedmont College - Emma McBrayer
Illinois College - Emma Newton
Piedmont College - Katelyn Perry
Linfield University - Katie Phillips
Southern Maine - Ashley Tinsman
NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Position Player
Wisconsin-Oshkosh - Acacia Tupa
NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Pitcher
Wisconsin-Oshkosh - Maddie Fink