McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Unranked La Verne made its first visit to Del Smith Stadium a memorable one, sweeping a pair of one-run games from the eighth-ranked Linfield Wildcats on Saturday.
The Leopards (17-8) capitalized on a Wildcats' miscue to win a Game 1 pitchers' duel 1-0, then came from behind to prevail 6-5 in Game 2.
The opening game defeat snapped an 11-game home winning streak for the Wildcats stretching over two seasons. La Verne also erased a seven-game losing skid to Linfield. The Leopards' last win over Linfield came in 2009 by a 5-4 count.
GAME 1: La Verne 1, Linfield 0
Linfield's
Tayah Kelley and La Verne's Katheryn Navarro matched zeros on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth inning. Clarissa Salazar notched the game's only run, first drawing a walk from Kelley then stealing second base to move into scoring position. Taylor Gray then put the ball in play where it was momentarily mishandled by Wildcats shortstop
Katrina Johns. The error allowed Salazar enough time to score, putting the Leopards in front 1-0.
Kelley carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Natalia Aguliera smacked a triple to left field to lead off the frame. But Kelley struck out the next two batters and got Janisa Rojo to ground out to end the inning.
Navarro (3-0) scattered four hits and four walks while striking out six.
Kelley suffered her first pitching defeat of 2022 after a 13-0 start.
Claire Seats,
Kamryn Mobley, Emma Podliksa and
Brynn Nelson all recorded base hits for the Wildcats.
GAME 2: La Verne 6, Linfield 5
While Saturday's opener was limited to just five hits and one run, the nightcap produced a combined 21 hits and 11 runs by the two West Coast rivals.
The Leopards jumped on the Wildcats for three runs in the top of the first inning but Linfield matched that with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning.
Linfield grabbed its first lead of the game, 6-5, in the bottom of the fifth. The Wildcats loaded the bases on ULV starter Rachel Rubio, setting the table for a two-run single by Mobley.
Navarro, playing third base, proved to be the difference again. In the sixth, she delivered one of her four hits on the day, plating both the tying and eventual game-winning runs.
The 'Cats put runners at first and second in the seventh, but couldn't drive them home.
Kelley (13-2), who came on in relief to start the sixth inning, was tagged with her second loss of the day. She struck out five of the 10 batters she faced but yielded two hits and a walk over the final two innings.
Rubio (11-5) earned the complete game victory, though she gave up 10 hits and three walks without logging a strikeout.
Mobley went 3 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs.
Baily Paul and Seats also contributed two hits.
NEXT
Linfield (21-5) dives back into Northwest Conference play on Tuesday when the 'Cats visit Lewis & Clark for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.
