HILLSBORO, Ore. – Linfield baseball and softball did some spring cleaning over the weekend as both teams swept their respective opponents while Northwest Conference play heats up. For their efforts, three players were named NWC Student-Athletes of the Week on Monday.
 
Linfield swept the weekly awards in softball with the battery of Tayah Kelley and Emma Podliska shining in the Wildcats' sweep of Whitworth. The 'Cats sit atop the NWC standings at 15-2 overall with a perfect 7-0 NWC mark. Three of their wins against the Pirates came in shutouts.
 
Kelley made it three straight weeks as the NWC Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week after picking up two wins and earning a save. Both wins came in complete-game shutouts, allowing three hits in each game. She struck out nine batters in the series opener on Friday before fanning 14 more in the third game on Saturday. In the finale, Kelley held the Pirates scoreless in two innings of relief, striking out three along the way. Kelley is 9-0 on the season with an NWC-leading 0.69 ERA and 88 K's.
 
The NWC Softball Position Student-Athlete of the Week, Podliska batted .714 against Whitworth, going 5 for 7 with three walks. The catcher scored twice and drove in six. Podliska went 1 for 2 in the opener with a two-run single. She collected three hits in the third game and was responsible for driving in four of Linfield's five runs.
 
Freshman lefty Jackson Koons was named the NWC Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week, making him the first Wildcat baseball player to earn weekly recognition this season. Koons went 5 2/3 innings in Linfield's 7-0 shutout of Whitman in the series opener. He allowed six hits while striking out three to improve to 2-2 on the season. Koons is second on the team with a 1.89 ERA.
 
The Wildcats took all three games against the Blues, scoring a combined 29 runs while allowing five to extend their winning streak to five games. They enter the week in third place at 9-8 overall and 6-4 in NWC play.