COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Linfield Wildcats softball team experienced both ends of the competitive spectrum on Sunday, relishing the thrill of victory over a Top-10 program before stubbing their toe against a lesser-regarded opponent at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
On the final day of action at the Leadoff Classic, 20th-ranked Linfield knocked off No. 8 Salisbury (Va.) 9-4 before falling 1-0 to Transylvania on a bases-loaded passed ball.
Linfield (11-2) finished a wildly successful three-day run at the prestigious tournament, winning five of six games and outscoring opponents by a 55-17 margin.
GAME 1: Linfield 9, Salisbury 4
The Wildcats produced 11 hits and nine runs against a series of four Seagulls pitchers, beginning with a three-run headstart in the first inning.
Claire Seats and
Kaili Saathoff delivered RBI singles to put the Wildcats in early control.
Salisbury eventually tied the game at 4-all in the fourth but the Wildcats answered with five runs over the final three frames to win going away.
Brynn Nelson smacked a two-run double in the fifth and the 'Cats capitalized on three unearned runs in the sixth and seventh.
Seats, Nelson,
Baily Paul and
Katie Phillips all accounted for two hits each.
Tayah Kelley fanned eight Seagulls, allowed eight hits and issued four walks on the way to her seventh win of the season against no losses.
Salisbury reliever Nicole Ortega (2-1) suffered her first defeat of 2022. Maddison Lednum led the Gulls offensively, going 2 for 4 at the plate and scoring one run.
GAME 2: Transylvania 1, Linfield 0
Fans were treated to an old-fashioned pitchers' duel, matching Linfield's
Tyler Warden against Transylvania's Marlee Woodward. The two hurlers matched zeros on the scoreboard for the better part of the contest.
After loading the bases on Wildcats reliever
Hailey Wadsworth in the top of the sixth inning, a passed ball got by catcher
Emma Podliska, allowing Taylor Senter to score the winning run.
Jenny Ball was credited with Linfield's lone hit in the game in the bottom of the seventh, enabling the Wildcats to put the tying run in scoring position. But Transy reliever Carlee Jeter ended all hopes of a rally, striking out pinch hitter
Brooklin Champion to end the game.
Stella Wulker had two of Transy's four hits.
Baily Paul drew two walks and stole a pair of bases for Linfield. Wadsworth (2-1) absorbed her first loss of the season.
NEXT
Linfield returns home this weekend for a Northwest Conference series against Whitworth. Saturday's doubleheaders begins at noon at Del Smith Stadium. Sunday's twinbill is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
