TACOMA, Wash. –
Ashlyn Aven doubled and smacked two home runs to power the second-ranked Linfield Wildcats to a convincing 15-6 victory over the homestanding Pacific Lutheran Lutes Friday afternoon in Northwest Conference softball action at the PLU softball field.
With the win, the Wildcats (10-1, 5-0 NWC) put a halt to the Lutes' six-game win streak.
Linfield piled up 17 hits throughout the rainy and windy afternoon, including three knocks each from Aven,
Claire Seats and
Brynn Nelson.
The game stood tied 1-1 through three innings before the Wildcats plated two runs in the fourth inning, then rung up six more on Lutes starter Paige Wilson in the fifth to seize complete command.
Linfield broke the ice in the first inning when Nelson's sacrifice RBI enabled
Kaili Saathoff to score from third base. Saathoff had singled on the game's second at-bat, moved to second base on a wild pitch, then advanced to third base on single to left field by Seats.
PLU responded with Zoie Smithson's solo home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, her fifth such scoring blast of the season.
Aven pushed Linfield in front for good with the first of her two home runs, this one a two-run rainbow over the center-field wall. Her third roundtripper of the season enabled pinch runner
Kaia Young to score, giving the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.
Tiani Wayton led off the Linfield fifth inning with a solo homer to left field. Nelson then delivered an RBI single to plate
Meara Sain.
Jacey Leyvas added another single minutes later, scoring Saathoff from second base. Aven then put the game out of reach with her second homer, a three-run shot that extended the Wildcats' cushion to 9-1.
Kamalani Doctor trimmed the Linfield advantage back to six with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth, but that's as close as PLU would come the rest of the way.
Seats eventually put the finishing touches on the rout with a two-run double to center field in the top of the seventh, giving the Wildcats an insurmountable 15-6 lead.
Linfield starter
Tyler McNeley improved to 6-1 in the circle with her sixth complete-game victory of the season. She struck out eight PLU batters and walked two.
NEXT
Weather permitting, the Wildcats and Lutes (10-3, 0-1 NWC) are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday at PLU Field starting at noon.
