McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Third-ranked Linfield capped a four-game sweep of Pacific Lutheran on Sunday, beating the Lutes twice at Del Smith Stadium.
Linfield topped PLU 10-1 in six innings to begin the days Northwest Conference doubleheader but had to fend off a late surge by the Lutes to win the nightcap 5-2.
Moving to 14-0 and 8-0 in conference play, the Wildcats completed the four-game sweep of the Lutes. PLU, which dropped its 10
th straight meeting to Linfield, slipped to 5-11 and 0-4 in the NWC.
Jacey Leyvas led Linfield at the plate in the four game series, going 6 for 13 with four doubles and two RBI.
Tayah Kelley pitched three series wins, striking out 16 batters in 14 innings of work.
GAME 1: Linfield 10, Pacific Lutheran 1, 6 innings
Linfield blasted three home runs, including
Brynn Nelson's three-run shot in the sixth inning that ended the game on the eight-run rule.
PLU plated its only run in the first five minutes of the game. Molly House, the second batter in the PLU lineup, lofted a home run over the left-field wall to give the Lutes a quick 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first,
Kaili Saathoff reached base on a fielder's choice before
Cydney Hess matched House's home run display, launching her fourth home run of the season to put the 'Cats in front 2-1.
The score remained 2-1 until the fifth, when Claire added an insurance run with a solo home run, her fifth of the season.
Linfield left no doubt with a seven-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run doubles by
Meara Sain and Saathoff, and concluding with Nelson's fourth roundtripper.
Kelley fanned eight Lutes on her way to a complete-game victory. She allowed three hits and one walk while raising her season record to 10-0.
Sain, Saathoff, Seats, Nelson and Leyvas all registered two hits in the game.
Cydney Hess and pinch hitter
Ashlyn Aven also contributed base hits.
Lutes starter Rachel Treves (1-2) surrendered 10 hits and two walks and was unable to log a singled strikeout among the 28 batters she faced.
GAME 2: Linfield 5, Pacific Lutheran 2
Freshman
Tyler McNeley pitched a complete-game shutout, piling up a career-high seven strikeouts while holding the Lutes to five hits. She
Linfield went right to work in the first inning as Sain tripled to center field on the game's first pitch and Hess sent her home with a ground out RBI.
In the third, Saathoff tapped an RBI single through the infield to make the score 2-0. The 'Cats then added an unearned run on a botched pickoff attempt, and Hess followed with an RBI bunt single that enabled Saathoff to score.
Seats made it 5-0 in favor of the hosts with a single to right field in the fifth, driving home Hess from second base.
PLU plated two runs on pinch hitter Leslie Main's bases-loaded two-out, two-run single in the top of the seventh. House, representing the tying run, popped out into the glove of Nelson for the game's final out.
Hess accounted for two of Linfield's six hits. Sain scored twice and chalked up a stolen base.
PLU starter Rachael Rhinehart (1-6) fanned six Wildcats and walked one in a losing effort.
NEXT
Linfield steps outside the NWC for a trio of doubleheaders in California during Spring Break. On Wednesday, the 'Cats are scheduled to take on Redlands, ranked No. 25 in the most recent NFCA Top 25 poll. On Thursday, Linfield visits Whittier for a two-game set before wrapping up the trip with a Friday twinbill at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
