McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Cydney Hess doubled and hit her eighth home run of the season, and
Breanna Bartek delivered three hits and drove in two runs for the Linfield Wildcats, who scored eight times in the final three innings to run away from the Moravian Greyhounds in Game 1 of the best-of-3 NCAA Division III Super Regional Thursday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
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Linfield (41-6) needs to defeat Moravian (35-11) just once more on Friday to secure the program's 10th overall and fourth straight trip to the NCAA Championship Finals. Game time Friday is set for 1 p.m. Should a deciding third game be necessary, it will follow at 3:30.
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Bartek scored the game's initial run in the first inning on
McKenna Parmelee's fielder's choice, giving the 'Cats the early lead. Bartek's single in the second inning enabled
Emily Foytack to make it 2-0 in the favor of the hosts.
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Linfield tacked on four runs in the fourth as
Meara Sain,
Ashlyn Aven and Parmelee reeled off run-scoring singles on consecutive at-bats, putting the 'Cats comfortably in front 6-0.
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Moravian's Marcie Silberman accounted for the Greyhounds' only runs of the game, launching a two-run homer over the center-field fence in the top of the sixth inning.
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Hess pushed the score 7-2 in the bottom of the frame, hitting her 13th homer of the season and 42nd of her career.
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Sophie Pappas added an insurance run with an RBI groundout moments later, scoring
Kaia Young. Bartek then ended the game by the eight-run rule, plating pinch runner
Brooklyn Sweatman.
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Wildcats pitcher
Tyler McNeley continued her sensational playoff run, striking out struck out seven Greyhounds while holding Moravian to three hits and two walks.
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Moravian starter Sarah DeStefano took the loss in relief to fall to 17-7 for the season. She gave up eight hits, six runs (four earned) and two walks in three innings.
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Hess, one of just two Linfield seniors, moved into a tie with former Wildcats All-American
Claire Seats for second on the career ladder for most games played and games started at 203.
