CLAREMONT, Calif. –
Tayah Kelley and
Tyler McNeley tossed matching shutouts,
Brynn Nelson singled four times, and Linfield held Claremont-Mudd-Scripps without a run on the way to a doubleheader sweep Friday afternoon at Athena Field.
The Wildcats blanked the Athenas 3-0 in the opener before unleashing the offense to take a 9-0 decision in a five-inning, run-rule shortened nightcap.
Linfield, ranked No. 3 in the most recent NFCA Top 25 poll, remained unbeaten at 20-0. CMS, which began the day riding an eight-game win streak, fell to 12-6.
Completing their spring break trip with doubleheader sweeps of three of the top programs in the SCIAC, the Wildcats hit a combined .409 while outscoring their opposition 55-16. Nelson went 13 for 18 with six runs scored, three doubles and two RBIs. Kelley and McNeley each went 3-0 on the trip as the pitching staff combined for a 2.14 earned run average and 25 strikeouts.
GAME 1: Linfield 3, Claremont-M-S 0
Kelley struck out six batters and held the Athenas without a run on the way to her 13th pitching victory of the season. The senior righthander scattered five hits and allowed no walks.
The Linfield offense backed up Kelley with nine hits, including two each by Nelson,
Sophia vanderSommen and
Ashley Sutton.
Linfield pushed across two runs in the fifth inning. VanderSommen singled to lead off the frame before Sutton delivered an RBI double down the left-field line.
Kaili Saathoff then drove Sutton home on a ground out to second base.
Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, the Athenas positioned a runner at third base with two outs, but Rachel Sapirstei grounded out to extinguish Claremont's best scoring opportunity of the day.
The 'Cats added an insurance run in the seventh. VanderSommen pounded a leadoff double then successfully stole third base.
Meara Sain tapped a single to right, allowing vanderSommen to reach home plate.
CMS threatened again in the seventh, putting runners at first and second with no outs but Kelley (13-0) held firm in the circle to put the finishing touches on her fourth complete-game shutout of the season.
Maya Loper went 2 for 3 at the plate for CMS. Maya Weigel-Murphy (2-1) suffered her first defeat of 2024. She allowed seven hits over four innings before turning the game over to Ella Yerkes in the fifth.
GAME 2: Linfield 9, Claremont M-S 0, 5 innings
Saathoff led the way with a double, two singles and a pair of stolen bases, pacing a 12-hit Linfield attack. Sain and Nelson each contributed two singles.
A sacrifice by
Cydney Hess in the third enabled Sain to score the game's initial run in the third inning.
Linfield added five more runs in the fourth to move in front 6-0. Pinch hitter
Sydney Ries drove in Nelson from third base, vanderSommen reached base on a sacrifice bunt that scored pinch runner
Annika Dayberry, and Saathoff laced an RBI single up the middle to score vanderSommen. Hess then reached safely on a fielding error as Saathoff and pinch runner
Lexiss Antle scooted home.
The 'Cats added three more runs in the fifth with Sain providing an RBI single and Saathoff connecting on a two-run double to left-center that put the 'Cats on top 9-0.
CMS starter Hanna Adams (4-1) took the loss. She gave up seven hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings.
McNeley, a freshman righthander, elevated her season record to 7-0. She struck out two batters and yielded no walks while giving up just four hits to register her second complete-game shutout.
AHEAD
Linfield resumes Northwest Conference play next weekend at Puget Sound. The Wildcats and Loggers meet April 6-7 for a four-game series. Doubleheaders are set to begin at noon on Saturday and at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
