FOREST GROVE, Ore. –
Breanna Bartek went a combined 5 for 8 and stole a pair of bases, and
Destiny Cornwell earned a pitching win and a save for the third-ranked Linfield Wildcats, who downed the Pacific Boxers 6-3 and 9-1 to take both ends of a Northwest Conference doubleheader Friday night at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
Linfield stretched its current win streak to 18 in a row, improving to 24-2 overall and 14-2 in the NWC. Pacific dipped to 10-14 and 5-9 in conference play.
GAME 1: Linfield 6, Pacific 3
Outhit but not outscored, the Wildcats used alternative methods to manufacture runs in the series opener. Linfield generated seven stolen bases, including two by
Kaia Young and drew three walks to offset Pacific's 10-7 edge in total hits.
Linfield opened up a 3-1 advantage after two innings, then scored three more runs in the fifth inning to open up a sizable 6-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Breanna Bartek led the 'Cats at the plate with two hits and one run scored.
Meara Sain doubled, drove in two runs and scored once herself. Young also contributed a pair of RBIs in the contest.
Tyler McNeley secured her 14th pitching victory of the season against just a single loss. Giving up nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, McNeley eventually turned the game over to
Destiny Cornwell, who earned her first save of the year in relief. The duo combined for four strikeouts.
Peyton Davis (1-3) took the loss for Pacific. She went 4 1/3 innings while surrendering five hits, six earned runs and three walks but did not log a single strikeout.
McMinnville native Libby Hardee went 3 for 3 with two runs scored to pace the Pacific offense.
GAME 2: Linfield 9, Pacific 1
Cornwell held the Boxers without a hit until the fifth inning before giving up an RBI double to Hardee, dropping the Wildcats in a 1-0 deficit.
Ashlyn Aven answered in the sixth with a three-run home run, her nation-leading 14th roundtripper, to put Linfield in front, 3-1.
The seventh inning saw the Wildcats explode for six runs, including a solo home run by
Emily Foytack, and a two-run sacrifice fly from
Cydney Hess.
Cornwell raised her season record to 10-1, holding the Boxers to four hits while also conceding five walks.
Bartek went 3 for 4 at the plate, Aven finished with four RBIs, and Young contributed a base hit plus two more stolen bases.
NEXT
The Wildcats and Boxers are set to complete their four-game series Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
