McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield completed a four-game sweep of Northwest Conference foe Puget Sound Sunday on Senior Day at Del Smith Stadium, putting a cap on the 2026 regular season. The Wildcats hit nine home runs in the four-game series to raise their Division III-leading team total to 57.
The Wildcats defeated the Loggers 11-0 in the opener before downing the Puget Sound 6-1 in the regular-season finale. Prior to the games, Linfield graduating seniors
Ashlyn Aven and
Cydney Hess were celebrated along side their families in a special ceremony saluting their many accomplishments across four seasons. Those milestones included: 173 wins, 18 playoff wins, three NWC team championships and three trips to the NCAA Division III Finals.
The eight-ranked Wildcats (34-6, 22-6 NWC) now turn their attention to the four-team NWC tournament, which is to begin Friday in Tacoma.
Puget Sound saw its season come to a close, ending with a 5-33 overall record and a 3-25 mark in the NWC.
GAME 1: Linfield 11, Puget Sound 0, 5 innings
Tyler McNeley struck out nine batters on the way to her sixth shutout of the season. McNeley maintained command throughout the contest, holding the Loggers to just two hits. Meanwhile, Linfield's offense piled up 10 hits, including two each by
Breanna Bartek and
Ashlyn Aven.
Four hits, two errors, two walks plus a pair of wild pitches enabled the Wildcats to open up a sizable 6-0 lead with just one out recorded in the bottom of the first inning was recorded.
Linfield added two more runs in the second inning, highlighted by
Ashlyn Aven's 20th home run of the season, becoming just the fifth Wildcat in program history to reach the 20 home run plateau in a single season.
Meara Sain's sacrifice RBI in the third inning scored pinch runner
Josie Brooks, stretching their Linfield advantage to 10-0.
Puget Sound starter Lauren Perryman (0-4) lasted just a third of an inning in the circle before being sent to the bench. She gave up seven runs, five of which were earned, four hits, and two walks.
Alyssa Figueroa and Olivia Boures accounted for Puget Sound's only hits in the game.
GAME 2: Linfield 6, Puget Sound
Cydney Hess broke the ice with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the bottom of the first inning. Parmelee added a sacrifice fly to center field minutes later,
The 'Cats added a pair of runs in the third inning and a single run in the fourth on Sain's solo home run to build a 6-0 lead.
The Loggers broke up the
Destiny Cornwell's bid for a shutout in the top of the seventh inning when Elyssa Garcia notched a single to send Rylie Madariaga home.
Cornwell (14-2) locked up her 14th win of her freshman campaign, going seven innings in the circle. She walked five and struck out two batters, giving up four batters.
Loggers pitcher Nyomi Estrada (4-13) took the loss in a starting role.
AHEAD
Linfield travels to Tacoma, Wash., on Thursday in preparation to for the Northwest Conference Tournament, hosted by regular-season champion Pacific Lutheran. The four-team, double elimination tournament is set to begin Friday and run three days. The Wildcats, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will face third-seeded Lewis & Clark in the tournament's opening round game. PLU will oppose George Fox in the other first-round contest. Game times are expected to be announced Monday by the conference office.
