PORTLAND, Ore. – The one-two punch of pitchers
Tayah Kelley and
Tyler McNeley, together with the timely hitting of
Brynn Nelson, spurred the Linfield Wildcats to a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Conference challenger Lewis & Clark Sunday at the Lewis & Clark diamond.
Second-ranked Linfield won by scores of 2-1 and 5-1 to remain unbeaten at 32-0. The 'Cats moved moved to 20-0 atop the NWC standings.
Lewis & Clark, which played Linfield close in all four games only to see their opportunity to upset the two-time defending NWC champions slip away, fell to 19-13, and 13-7 in conference action.
On Sunday, Nelson reached base successfully six times, going 3 for 4 at the plate and walking three times, twice intentionally.
Kelley (20-0) and McNeley (12-0) each earned complete game victories, limiting the Pioneers to a combined two runs, two walks and seven hits.
GAME 1: Linfield 2, Lewis & Clark 1
Nelson drilled her eighth home run of the season in the first inning, giving Linfield all the scoring it would need to secure the win.
Playing with a lead the entire game, Kelley struck out 10 batters – including all three in the final frame. For the game, the Wildcats All-American allowed four hits and one walk.
After
Kaili Saathoff drew a leadoff walk, Nelson put the Wildcats gave Linfield the lead for good with a two-run homer.
Lewis & Clark cut the deficit in half in the second when Megan Yanagi lofted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Emily Patton.
The Pioneers positioned runners at second and third bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Kelley struck out consecutive batters before getting Ginz Ozuna to fly out to center field for the third out.
In the sixth,
Cydney Hess doubled to lead off the inning and Nelson was given an intentional walk. But with two outs,
Ashlyn Aven's line drive to left field settled into the glove of Harper Campanella.
The 'Cats loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but L&C pitcher Charlize Pope struck out Hess and
Claire Seats flew out to left field.
Saathoff went 2 for 3 to pace the 'Cats. Linfield out hit Lewis & Clark, just barely, 5-4.
Pope took her second weekend loss at the hands of the Wildcats, falling to 8-6.
GAME 2: Linfield 5, Lewis & Clark 1
The Pioneers snatched the early lead as Emily Patton drilled a tirple to right field and was driven home by Campanella in the bottom of the first.
The Wildcats tied the score at 1-all when
Sophia vanderSommen reached on an error, opening the door for pinch runner
Annika Dayberry to score an unearned run.
Linfield plated the eventually winning run in the third. With two runners on base,
Jacey Leyvas reached base thanks to a L&C fielding miscue, allowing Hess to score unearned, putting the visitors in front 2-1.
The score remained 2-1 until the seventh. The 'Cats reeled off three unanswered runs as Seats laced an RBI double down the left-field line, Leyvas delivered a RBI double to center field, and Aven contributed a sacrifice bunt to send home Nelson from third.
McNeley pitched a three-hitter, striking out four and walking one batter. Maggie O'Leary was steady for the better part of the game, keeping the Pioneers in contention until the final inning. O'Leary (9-6) racked up five strikeouts but gave up nine hits and three walks.
COMING UP
The Wildcats return home to Del Smith Stadium where they will host the George Fox Bruins for a four-game NWC set. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday starting at 3 p.m., then resumes Sunday with a twinbill starting at noon. The teams will not play on Saturday due to George Fox's scheduled graduation that day.
