SPOKANE, Wash. – Linfield swept both ends of a makeup doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Diana Marks Field, winning the Northwest Conference twinbill 11-6 and 10-3.
Kaili Saathoff accounted for five hits and
Katie Phillips drove in four runs, carrying the Wildcats to their 10th straight victory. Sixth-ranked Linfield won its 19th NWC game in 20 outings, improving to 29-3 overall. Whitworth, which entered the series sitting in second place in the NWC standings, slipped to 13-9 in league play and 21-13 overall.
GAME 1: Linfield 11, Whitworth 6
Saathoff went 4 for 5 with a double,
Claire Seats tapped three hits and Phillips drove home three runs to lead the 'Cats to the road victory.
Tayah Kelley recorded her 18th win of the season in the circle. Kelley gave up seven hits and two walks to the Pirates, but held her ground in the late innings to secure the win.
Linfield opened up a 6-1 advantage midway through the fourth inning, only watch as Whitworth closed the gap to 7-6 with four runs in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth.
That was as close as the Pirates would come.
Cydney Hess drilled a two-run double in the top of the sixth, stretching the Linfield lead to 9-6.
The 'Cats added two more tallies in the seventh with Seats and Saathoff delivering run-scoring hits.
Corinne Vasiloff took the loss for Whitworth to fall to 13-6. She gave up 14 hits and five walks to the Wildcats before exiting the game with two outs in the seventh.
Reagan Ellis went 2 for 3, including a home run, to lead the Pirates at the plate.
GAME 2: Linfield 10, Whitworth 3
Linfield spotted Whitworth a single run in the first inning, but the Wildcats plated three runs in both the third and fourth innings to open up a 6-1 lead. Whitworth closed to within three runs in the fifth before the Wildcats added three insurance runs over the final two frames.
Brynn Nelson swatted her fifth home run of the season in the third, and Hess went 3 for 4, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Phillips scored three times.
Tyler Warden went seven full innings in the circle, earning her 11th pitching win of the season against just a single loss. The junior righthander scattered eight hits, walking two and striking out four.
Linfield stole four bases in the game, including two by
Baily Paul, who also contributed a pair of base hits.
NEXT
The Wildcats and Pirates continue their four-game series Thursday with a doubleheader beginning at noon at Diana Marks Field.
