ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. –
Kaili Saathoff went 5 for 7 and scored four times, and
Claire Seats was 4 for 7 at the plate and drove in four runs to lead Linfield to a pair of run-rule shortened victories on the opening day of action at the 12-team Pioneer Classic Friday at chilly Elizabethtown Sports Park.
After a one-hour rain delay to begin the day, the Wildcats trounced Anderson (Ind.) 18-1 in five innings, then handed Calvin (Mich.) a 9-1 defeat in six innings.
Ranked 11th in the most recent NFCA Top 25 coaches poll, Linfield improved to 10-2 for the season.
GAME 1: Linfield 18, Anderson 1, 5 innings
Pitchers
Tyler Warden and
Mackenzie Burke combined for a one-hitter in the circle and the Linfield offense rolled up 16 hits and five walks on the way to a dominating first-game performance.
Baily Paul and
Katrina Johns each smacked home runs, and
Katie Phillips delivered two triples against a cadre of four Anderson pitchers.
Brynn Nelson drilled two doubles and drove in three runs while going 2 for 3. Paul,
Cydney Hess and Saathoff also registered a pair of hits for the Wildcats, who jumped to a quick 4-0 advantage in the top of the first inning and led 14-1 after just three innings of play.
Linfield piled up six stolen bases in the game, including two by Saathoff.
In the three times Linfield and Anderson have met on the softball diamond – each occuring in a different Midwest state – the Wildcats have outscored the Ravens 36-1 with the lone run coming in the first inning of Friday's lopsided contest.
GAME 2: Linfield 9, Calvin 1, 6 innings
The game remained a scoreless pitchers duel between Linfield's
Tayah Kelley and Calvin's Kirsten Krause until the Wildcats erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning.
Kelley (7-0) struck out six batters while twirling a three-hitter, limiting the Knights to just a single run in the first inning.
The top of Linfield's order produced the lion's share of the offense, with Saathoff (three hits, two runs scored), Phillips (two hits, two RBI), and
Claire Seats (three hits, three RBI) leading the way.
Linfield piled up 11 hits on Krause and reliever Zoe Hazelhof, who took over in the circle in the third inning.
NEXT
Linfield squares off against host Transylvania (10-6) at 10:30 a.m. PDT on Saturday. The 'Cats then oppose Hanover (4-10) immediately following.
