COLUMBUS, Ga. – Linfield continued its winning ways at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic, blasting Coe (Iowa) 7-1 and taking down Illinois Wesleyan 12-2 in five innings Saturday at South Commons Stadium.
 
The Wildcats, who have outscored their Leadoff Classic opposition by a 46-12 margin, raised their season record to 10-1.
 
GAME 1: Linfield 7, Coe 1
The Wildcats needed one big inning to put the Kohawks away. After taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning, Linfield took command with a six-run third inning that saw the Wildcats capitalize on five hits and a walk.
 
Katrina Johns, Katie Phillips, Claire Seats and Abi Proffitt all registered two hits in the contest.
 
Pitching ace Tayah Kelley struck out 14 batters to improve to 6-0 on the season. Though she gave up seven hits to Coe, the junior righthander limited the collateral damage to just a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
GAME 2: Linfield 12, Illinois Wesleyan 2, 5 innings
Tyler Warden pitched a five-inning shutout while Baily Paul and Brynn Nelson both drove in three runs to lead a potent Wildcats attack.
 
Linfield jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. RBI singles by Johns, Seats and Nelson provided the impetus for the opening-frame flourish.
 
Nelson and Paul took turns driving home runs in a five-run third inning.
 
Phillips and Proffitt both slammed doubles in the game.
 
Warden (2-0) earned her second win in as many days. She struck out four batters while spreading around four hits.
 
The Titans notched their lone run in the fourth on an RBI double by Abby Khoury.
 
NEXT
Linfield puts its nine-game win streak on the line Sunday on the final day of the Leadoff Classic with games against Salisbury (Va.) at 9 a.m. EST and versus Transylvania (Ky.) at 11 a.m. EST.
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