McMINNVILLE, Ore. - The seventh-ranked Linfield Wildcats showcased their offensive firepower Sunday with a commanding doubleheader sweep of Northwest Conference foe Willamette at Del Smith Stadium. The Wildcats cruised to an 18-2 run-rule victory in the opener before completing the sweep with a 10-2 win in the nightcap.
GAME 1: Linfield 18, Willamette 2 (5 innings)
Linfield wasted no time asserting its dominance in the first game, exploding for nine runs in the opening inning to effectively put the game out of reach. The Wildcats sent 12 batters to the plate in the decisive first frame, with nearly every batter seeing success against a struggling Willamette defense.
Second baseman
Brynn Nelson led the offensive onslaught with a perfect 4-for-4 performance that included six RBI. Nelson's RBI double sparked the first-inning outburst before she added a two-run homer in the third.
Kaili Saathoff contributed a triple and five RBI as part of Linfield's 12-hit attack that took advantage of three Willamette errors.
Tyler McNeley improved to 22-2 on the season with four solid innings of work, allowing just one earned run while striking out four. The Wildcats' defense backed the starter with several strong plays, including an impressive double play in the second inning.
Willamette managed just three hits in the contest, plating both runs in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout and a Linfield fielding miscue. Starter Kenna Davis lasted just two-thirds of an inning and was charged with five runs in the abbreviated outing.
Linfield put the game completely out of reach with a seven-run fourth inning, highlighted by
Claire Seats' two-run double. The Wildcats showcased their speed with three stolen bases while capitalizing on every Willamette mistake.
GAME 2: Linfield 10, Willamette 2 (5 innings)
The Wildcats once again got to work early, putting up five runs in the first frame behind a home run blast by
Jacey Leyvas that brought in two runs. Layvas' homer was Linfield's 79
th this season, second most in a season in program history as the Wildcats chase the record of 103 that was once thought untouchable set by the 2011 team.
Linfield starter
Tyler Warden delivered a complete-game effort, scattering six hits over five innings while allowing just two runs. The right-hander needed only five innings to secure her eleventh win of the season. Willamette broke through in the fourth inning when Kenna Davis tripled home two runs but couldn't sustain the rally against Warden's steady pitching.
The Wildcats added insurance runs in the fifth inning when
Kaili Saathoff's RBI single invoked the run rule. Linfield's defense rebounded from two errors to secure the win and limit Willamette to two runs, while Willamette committed three miscues in the nightcap.
With the doubleheader sweep, Linfield improves to 35-5 overall and 25-3 in conference play, maintaining their position atop the Northwest Conference standings.
NEXT
With the top overall seed secured, Linfield hosts the Northwest Conference tournament next weekend. The Wildcats open the tournament with a Friday game against Pacific Lutheran at 11 a.m. from Del Smith Stadium.
