McMINNVILLE, Ore. – On a day when she set the Linfield record for games played and games started,
Katie Phillips also produced the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, capping an exciting first game at the NCAA Division III McMinnville Regional at Del Smith Stadium.
The home-standing Wildcats (42-4) fought off a gallant effort by the Redlands Bulldogs (27-15), prevailing 7-6 to grab the early advantage in the best-of-five regional series.
The teams meet again Friday for Games 2 and 3 starting at 2 p.m. The winner of the McMinnville Regional will play the winner of the Central Regional May 26-27 at a site to be determined by the NCAA.
Linfield showed little apparent rust, despite having been idle for 25 days since wrapping up the Northwest Conference Tournament title on April 21. Redlands came to McMinnville fresh from winning the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship last Sunday.
Linfield appeared to have loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but
Baily Paul was caught off the bag at third base, silencing the Wildcats' initial threat.
In the second,
Jacey Leyvas laced a single to center field, scoring
Cydney Hess from third base for the game's first run.
Redlands' Paige Messenlehrner evened the score at 1 with a leadoff home run to begin the third inning. Natalie Horton singled moments later, then scooted to second base on a wild pitch. Alexis Campos stepped to the plate and delivered a run-scoring single through the infield, pushing the Bulldogs in front, 2-1.
Redlands added to its lead in the fourth. Kassidy Long drew a walk and Messenlehner followed with a double to position runners at second and third. Starting pitcher Katlyn Gandara entered the batting order as a pinch hitter and promptly smacked a two-run single to center field, extending the Bulldogs' lead to 4-1.
The Wildcats got things rolling the fifth, loading the bases with no outs.
Kaili Saathoff looped a singled to left field, scoring pinch runner
Natalie Brinda from third.
Katie Phillips then drilled two-run single, knotting the score once more, 4-4.
Ashley Sutton put the 'Cats back on top, lofting a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored Hess for the go-ahead run.
Down to its final out, Redlands capitalized on a Wildcats fielding error and a double by Avery Duran to take a 6-5 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Saathoff and Phillips each singled to lead off the inning.
Claire Seats moved the runners to second and third, bringing
Brynn Nelson to the plate. The sophomore's chopping grounder zipped through the infield, sending home the tying and winning runs.
Linfield outhit Redlands 12-7. Phillips went 3 for 4 with two RBI. Hess accounted for two hits, both for extra bases, and scored two runs. Leyvas, a native of Redlands, went 3 for 3 at the plate against her hometown college team.
Throwing 117 pitches in the game, Wildcats ace pitcher
Tayah Kelley retired five batters via strikeout on her way to her 29th victory of the season.
Gandara took the loss to fall to 16-8. She yielded six earned runs and one walk while striking out four Wildcats.
Horton and Messenlehner each produced two hits for Redlands.
CAT SCRATCH
Temperature at game time was 76 degrees. . . Phillips set a pair of significant records Thursday, moving atop Linfield's alltime list for games played and games started with 202. . . the fifth-year senior surpassed graduated Wildcat All-Americans Staci Doucette and Emilee Lepp. . . the Wildcats and Bulldogs have played three times this season with all three matchups being decided by one run. . . Kelley moved to within five strikeouts of the Linfield career strikeouts record of 632 held by two-time All-American Brittany Miller.
