McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Kaili Saathoff went 4 for 4, drove home three runs and scored three times, leading an 13-hit onslaught by the Linfield Wildcats in the opening game of the best-of-5 NCAA Division III McMinnville Regional Thursday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
The unbeaten and top-ranked Wildcats took down Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-champion Redlands 11-3 to improve to 44-0 for the season. The game was abbreviated to five innings by the eight-run rule.
The two teams continue the series Friday with games at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Redlands must win at least once in order to extend the regional tournament to a third day.
Redlands took the initial lead when Paige Messenlehner threaded a double to the left-center field wall in the top of the first inning, buying Brooklyn Bard enough time to score all the way from first base.
The Wildcats'
Brynn Nelson delivered a lofting RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first to score Saathoff, knotting the game at 1.
Linfield rung up five runs in the fourth. The 'Cats began the inning by loading the bases with no outs, opening the door for
Ashley Sutton's two-run single. Saathoff made it 5-1 with her third base hit of the day down the first-base line, scoring pinch runner
Natalie Brinda and
Ashlyn Aven.
Claire Seats added more misery for the 'Dogs, reaching base on an error to send Saathoff across home plate.
In the Redlands fifth, Horton singled and Bard followed by drawing a walk to put two runners aboard. Katlyn Gandara ripped a double to center, cutting the Linfield lead in half, 6-3.
Four more Linfield runs on the scoreboard followed in the fifth inning as Saathoff,
Cydney Hess and Nelson took turns driving run across.
Linfield ace
Tayah Kelley (27-0) pitched the entire game for Linfield, striking out seven Bulldogs and walking a pair.
Hess went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs and Sutton contributed a key base hit to push two more runs across.
Bulldogs starter Katlyn Gandara (17-6) lasted just 3 1/3 innings before being chased from the game. The two-time all-star surrendered nine hits and a walk without a strikeout as Linfield built a 6-1 advantage. Reliever Brianna Garcia pitched one inning, eventually yielding way to Kaylen Galaviz in the fifth.
Horton went 3 for 3 and scored a run but was caught stealing twice. The Bulldogs entered the game with a whopping 136 stolen bases on the year, but departed without a single theft.
Linfield registered its 22nd run-rule shortened game of the season, outhitting Redlands 13-8. The Bulldogs fell to 32-12 for the season.
