McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Freshman Rylee Dunkin's two-run single to right field in the 11th inning lifted the Central Dutch to a shocking 4-2 victory in 11 innings over the Linfield Wildcats in Game 1 of the NCAA McMinnville Super Regional Thursday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
No. 25 Central (33-11) dealt top-ranked Linfield (46-2) just its second defeat of 2024 and put the Wildcats into must-win situation Friday in the best-of-3 playoff series. Game 2 is set for 1:30 p.m. and a deciding third game, if necessary, would follow at 4 o'clock.
The winner of the Super Regional moves earns one of eight berths in the Division III World Series, May 30-June 5 at Marshall, Texas.
Linfield drew three walks in the first inning to load the bases, but Dutch starter Emma Beck got
Sophia vanderSommen to strike out swinging to extinguish the early threat.
The Dutch put two runners on base with no outs in the second, but Wildcats star pitcher
Tayah Kelley got Mariah Parton to foul out into the glove of catcher
Ashley Sutton. The Wildcats then turned a nifty double play to get out of the inning.
In the Linfield third inning,
Claire Seats laced a two-out double to the left-field wall, and Beck served up an intentional walk to Wildcats slugger
Jacey Leyvas, but vanderSommen's deep fly ball to center field was snagged by Emma Johnson for the third out.
Kaili Saathoff broke the ice in the fourth, threading a single through the right side of the infield to score
Tiani Wayton.
Central made it 2-1 with Haley Bach's two-run home run, her first of her career and just the third roundtripper by the Dutch this spring.
Taking advantage of three walks issued by Kelley, Central loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth but the two-time All-American rallied back to fan pinch hitter Emma Lenox to retire the side.
Cydney Hess evened the score at 2 with a towering solo home run over the left-field fence.
Brynn Nelson nearly ended the game moments later with a blast to left field that landed just feet outside the left-foul pole. Instead, Nelson settled for a full-count walk from reliever Morgan Schaben. But the Dutch turned a bizarre double play to get Schaben out of the jam.
The Dutch made their move in the top of the 11th, loading the bases on Kelley with two outs. A lofting single to right field by Dunkin scored bought enough time for Biurne and Johnson to score, putting Central on top 4-2.
Kelley recorded 11 strikeouts, pushing her 2024 total to 265 and surpassing her own Linfield single-season record of 253. Tossing 196 pitches across 11 innings, the Division III wins leader absorbed the loss to fall to 28-2.
Tiani Wayton hammered a pair of doubles and Hess tapped two singles to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Seats and Saathoff also contributed base hits.
Beck scattered five hits while striking out five and walking four. Schaben earned the win in relief, improving 8-1 in the circle.
Central outhit Linfield 9-6. A season-high eight walks, combined with 10 stranded base runners plus the solo home run by Bach, kept the Dutch in the game.
Bach, Johnson and Hannah Higgins all finished with two hits for Central.
