McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Brynn Nelson's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2 carried the Linfield Wildcats to a 3-2 victory and put the finishing touches on a four-game Northwest Conference sweep of the Pacific Boxers Sunday at Del Smith Stadium.
Earlier Sunday, Linfield outhit the Boxers 14-1 on the way to a 10-1 victory in five innings.
Linfield remained unbeaten at 28-0 while running their record to 16-0 in NWC play. Pacific slid to 7-21 and 3-13 in conference play.
Making her 100th career start in the opener, Wildcats pitching ace
Tayah Kelley was credited with both pitching wins, improving to 18-0 for the season.
Nelson led Linfield in the series, going 7 for 12 with two doubles and a team-best six RBIs.
Cydney Hess went 6 for 11 with four runs scored and five RBIs.
The 'Cats outscored the Boxers 26-3 in the series and outhit Pacific 37-12. Linfield pitchers Kelley and
Tyler McNeley combined to post a 0.84 ERA and 31 strikeouts.
GAME 1: Linfield 10, Pacific 1, 5 innings
Jacey Leyvas and went 3 for 3, including driving in the game-ending run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nelson also notched three hits and drove in four runs to pace a 14-hit Wildcat barrage.
Pacific starter Haleigh Colfelt lasted just six batters before being chased to the bench as the 'Cats bolted to a quick lead. Nelson smacked her sixth home run of the season – a two run shot to left-center field and
Ashlyn Aven made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left field.
In the third, redshirt freshman
Hadley Dunham drilled a double to left-center, scoring
Ashley Sutton. The Wildcats added two more runs in the fourth, the first coming on a sacrifice RBIs by Aven and
Tiani Wayton, pushing the Linfield lead to 7-0.
The Boxers plated their first run of the game and the series, getting an RBI single from Ryley Vickroy to send home Kayla Kodani from second base.
The Wildcats rung up three more runs in the fifth as Nelson and Leyvas both delivered run-scoring hits to force an early end to the contest.
Kelley struck out seven Boxers, walked two and conceded just a single hit.
Making her first career start in center field for the 'Cats, Dunham went 3 for 3 at the plate and scored two runs. Hess went 2 for 3 and scored two runs while Sutton added a pair of hits and scored twice.
Colfelt took the loss to fall to 2-5. Colfelt and reliever Abby Surowiec managed just two strikeouts while giving up 14 hits, four walks and one hit batter.
GAME 2: Linfield 3, Pacific 2, 8 innings
Nelson delivered the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning on a single down the left-field line, driving home Saathoff from second base.
Nelson finished with two hits, including a double. Saathoff, Hess and vanderSommen also contributed a pair of base hits.
The Boxers took their first lead of the series in the top of the first inning when Carli Zanassi singled to center field, sending home leadoff hitter Michelle Winfield.
Linfield tied the game at 1 on a ground-out RBI by Wayton that scored pinch runner
Natalie Brinda from third.
The 'Cats took a 2-1 lead in the fourth after vanderSommen lofted a single to left field, allowing pinch runner
Annika Dayberry to reach home.
Pacific knotted the score once more in the fifth, cashing in on a wild pitch.
Kelley returned to the circle to begin the seventh inning, striking out four of the final nine batters.
In the eighth inning, the Wildcats executed two well time bunt singles by Saathoff and Hess. That set up Nelson's game-clinching single.
Espinoza (1-4) went the distance in the circle for Pacific. She gave up 10 hits and two walks without recording a strikeout.
AHEAD
Linfield is on the road for its next NWC series. The Wildcats square off against the Lewis & Clark Pioneers in Portland for a four-game set starting at noon on Saturday and continuing Sunday at 11 a.m.
