BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Held to five hits by the nation's second-ranked team just one day after piling up 11, the Linfield Wildcats watched their 13-game winning streak snapped by Virginia Wesleyan Friday, falling 8-4 during the second round of action in the NCAA Division III Championship Finals at Inspiration Field on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University.
Linfield (44-6) falls into an elimination game against Redlands (40-10), which defeated Texas Lutheran 2-0 in an elimination game late Friday. That game will be played Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CDT / 11:30 a.m. PDT.
VWU All-America pitcher Lauren Bible kept Linfield off balance at the plate for much of the day, limiting the high-powered Wildcats to just two extra-base hits. Bible (27-1) allowed just four hits and two walks over six innings before giving way to closer Emma Adams in the seventh.
The Marlins got on the scoreboard first by way of Sarah Prosser's ground-out RBI in the second inning that brought home Olivia Knight.
Knight then delivered a two-run double in the third as VMU built a 3-0 advantage. The Marlins added three more runs in the fourth when Morgan Tucker tapped a bases-loaded single to score Prosser. Samantha Deitsch connected on a two-run double to center field, extending the Marlins' lead to 6-0.
Linfield began to make a game of it when
Kaili Saathoff singled to left field, setting the table for
Brynn Nelson's two-run home run that brought the Wildcats to within four, 6-2. Nelson's blast marked Linfield's Division III-leading 100th home run of the season.
In the sixth, Mackenzie Myers lofted a two-run homer of her own to push VWU back in front by six runs.
The Wildcats attempted a rally in the seventh, putting two base runners aboard.
Ashley Sutton singled to drive in a run, and
Meara Sain plated
Tiani Wayton on a ground out to bring Linfield back to within four runs, 8-4. That's as close as the 'Cats would come as Adams was able to coax Nelson into a grounder for the final out.
Knight went 3 for 4 at the plate for the Marlins. Myers and Laci Campbell each had two hits, part of a 12-hit barrage on Wildcats pitcher
Tyler McNeley. McNeley (31-3) managed just two strikeouts while conceding five walks, taking just her third loss of the year.
Virginia Wesleyan (48-3-1) earns a day of rest on Saturday and will continue play on Sunday versus a yet-to-be determined opponent.
In other games Friday, Randolph-Macon defeated Saint Mary's 6-3 to end the Cardinals' season. Trine knocked off Rowan 6-3 in the other winners bracket contest.
In addition to Linfield taking on Redlands in a loser-out contest, Rowan faces Randolph-Macon in the only other game scheduled for Saturday. As noted, the winner of the Linfield/Redlands matchup faces the Rowan/Trine winner in another elimination game at 1:30 p.m. CDT / 11:30 a.m. PDT.
