Linfield's Tayah Kelley was named the Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week six times last season. She's already halfway there in 2023 as the reigning NWC Pitcher of the Year and NFCA Second Team All-American earned her third weekly award of the season on Monday.
 
A 12-time honoree, Kelley also earned the honor on three occasions as a sophomore in 2021. Now a senior, she's off to a 9-0 start to the year with eight complete games. The Myrtle Creek native leads the NWC with three shutouts, 69 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA. The punchouts rank No. 8 in Division III.
 
Kelley went 3-0 in the circle and struck out 24 batters to help lead the Wildcats to a perfect 6-0 record at the Pioneer Classic in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. In a 9-1, mercy-rule win over Calvin on Friday, Kelley allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six. She came back Saturday and tossed a two-hit shutout with eight Ks in the team's 2-0 win over tournament host and No. 13 Transylvania.
 
The hard-throwing righty ran into some trouble late in Linfield's 5-3 win in Sunday's opener against No. 25 Washington-St. Louis. But she finished the job and claimed seven more victims via strikeout. The South Umpqua graduate entered Game 6 in relief, striking out the side in the seventh inning to secure a 9-5 win for the 'Cats over Spalding.
 
Linfield is 14-2 overall and 4-0 in NWC play. The 'Cats are riding a 10-game win streak that goes back to their sweep of Lewis & Clark on March 5-6 in McMinnville. They will hit the road this week to take on Willamette on Friday and Sunday.