McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Behind timely hitting and solid pitching, Linfield got off to a solid start in Northwest Conference play, producing a two-game sweep of the Willamette Bearcats Friday night at Del Smith Stadium.
Linfield (5-1, 2-0 NWC) outhit Willamette 13-8 in the twinight twinbill.
GAME 1: Linfield 4, Willamette 0
Tayah Kelley pitched a complete-game shutout in the opener, raising her season record to 3-0. The Wildcats' junior righthander fanned eight Bearcats without surrendering a single walk.
A run-scoring single by Katrina John and an RBI double from
Claire Seats staked the Wildcats to a 2-0 advantage in the first inning.
Katie Phillips followed in the second inning with a two-run double to center field, pushing the score to 4-0.
Linfield totaled five hits to Willamette's two. Neither team committed an error.
Bearcats starter Carrie Dose (0-1) took the loss. She gave up three hits and one walk across two innings. Reliever Kenna Davis held the Wildcat to two hits over the final four frames.
GAME 2: Linfield 4, Willamette 2
Hailey Wadsworth fanned the game's final batter, capping a six-hit victory for the freshman from Happy Valley, Oregon.
After surrendering two runs in the opening frame, Wadsworth held the Bearcats at bay for the remainder of the contest to improve her season record to 2-0.
After WU leadoff hitter Brianna Majors drew a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Jewel Fleckenstein, Mia Lund tapped a single to score Majors for a quick 1-0 Bearcats lead. Lund reached third base on a passed ball, then scored on a ground out by Bailey Hillmick, putting Willamette in front 2-0.
Linfield cut the Willamette lead in half in the fourth as freshman
Claire Seats swatted an arching shot to left field, scoring pinch runner
Tiana Wayton from second base.
Back-to-back pinch hitters produced the game-tying run for the Wildcats.
Jenny Ball led off the fifth inning with a single, then freshman
Jacey Leyvas drove her home with a low liner to through the infield, squaring the game 2-all.
Still in the fifth, the Wildcats put runners at first and third with no outs on WU starter Jordyn Johnson.
Kamryn Mobley gave Linfield its first lead of the game with a ground-out RBI. Johns lofted her third hit of the game, a doubleto center field that scored
Katie Phillips and putting the Wildcats in front 4-2.
Johnson (1-3) allowed eight hits to the Wildcats but yielded no walks. Dose went 2 for 3 to lead the visitors at the plate.
Johns went 3 for 3 to pace Linfield offensively.
NEXT
The teams resume their four-game NWC series Saturday at 11 a.m.
