McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Claire Seats smacked two doubles and drove in five runs, and Linfield pitchers
Tyler McNeley and
Tyler Warden held Whitworth to five hits in a Northwest Conference doubleheader sweep of the Pirates Saturday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
GAME 1: Linfield 5, Whitworth 0
McNeley pitched a gem in the third-ranked Wildcats' home opener, confining the Pirates to just a single hit in the seventh inning while getting plenty of run support from the Linfield offense.
Ashley Sutton put the first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out RBI single down the left-field line.
Linfield added two more runs in the fifth to make the score 3-0 on
Brynn Nelson's two-run single that scored
Kaili Saathoff and pinch runner
Breanna Bartek.
Ashlyn Aven rounded out the score with a two-run homer over the left-field wall in the sixth, her second roundtripper of the season.
Aven and Nelson each drove home a pair of runs to pace the Linfield offense.
Jacey Leyvas generated two base hits for the 'Cats.
In the circle, McNeley (4-1) struck out eight Pirates, surrendering her only hit of the game on a line drive in the seventh to Whitworth's Taylor Hofheins. McNeley came within two outs of logging Linfield's first seven-inning no-hitter since Montana McNeely achieved the feat versus Whitworth in 2015.
Momi Lyman (0-1) pitched the entire game for Whitworth, allowing seven hits and one walk.
GAME 2: Linfield 15, Whitworth 0, 5 innings
Linfield left no doubt about the outcome from the get-go, plating 11 first-inning runs, including two bases-loaded walks. The Wildcats sent 17 batters to the plate.
Meara Sain went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs and Seats was 3 for 4 with five RBIs. Seven Wildcats notched hits in the game against three Pirates pitchers. Whitworth starter Reiss McIntyre took the loss to fall to 0-2. She lasted just 1/3 of an inning, yielding three hits, two walks and a hit batswoman.
Sain led off the Linfield first inning with a double. Saathoff followed by drawing a walk before Seats delivered a two-run double, putting the 'Cats quickly in front, 2-0. Nelson added an RBI single moments later, driving home Seats from second base. The 'Cats never looked back after that, piling up eight more runs in the frame to put the game out of reach.
The Wildcats stretched their current win streak over the Pirates to 19 games.
NEXT
Linfield (7-1, 2-0 NWC) and Whitworth (0-4, 0-2 NWC) return to Del Smith Stadium Sunday for two more NWC contests starting at 11 a.m.
