Linfield University Athletics

TACOMA, Wash. –  For the 13th time since its establishment 15 years ago, the Linfield Wildcats are the Northwest Conference Softball Tournament champions.
 
Meara Sain doubled and hit her sixth home run of the season, Tyler McNeley held NWC regular-season champion Pacific Lutheran to four hits and just a single run, and the seventh-ranked Wildcats defeated the No. 21 Lutes 6-1 for the second time in three days to capture the NWC Tournament crown Sunday on PLU's home field.
 
By securing the NWC Tournament title, Linfield (37-6) automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III regional playoffs. The Wildcats now await the NCAA's official announcement of the full 64-team playoff field on Monday, May 11, at 8 a.m. Pacific time on NCAA.com.
 
Linfield took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after Lexiss Antle doubled to left field, scoring Emily Foytack and Kaia Young. PLU pushed its only run of the game across the plate in the third inning when Paola Garcia laced a double to left-center field, allowing Bri Sarae to reach home.
 
Sain's school-record 28th double of the season added another run in the fifth inning and was followed by an Ashlyn Aven double, scoring Sain.
 
Sain delivered the back breaker to the Lutes in the sixth, clubbing a two-run homer off of Lutes all-star pitcher Paige Wilson, giving the Wildcats a five-run advantage.
 
McNeley (22-4) struck out five PLU batters, allowed just four hits while yielding no walks.
 
Wilson (20-3) absorbed her second loss to the Wildcats in the tournament. She gave up 10 hits, six earned runs and issued four walks with six strikeouts.
 
Sarae went 2 for 3 to pace PLU at the plate.
 
Antle and Sain each went 2 for 4 for the Wildcats. Breanna Bartek scored two runs and added a hit and a stolen base.
 
Sain, who on Friday broke a Linfield single-season record with her 27th double of 2026, led Linfield offensively at the conference tournament. In the three tournament games, the junior outfielder from Eugene hit .667 with eight hits, including three doubles, a home run, three RBIs and 14 total bases.
 
Antle enjoyed a fine three-game series as well, hitting .500 (5 for 10) with a double and three RBIs. McNeley pitched all 21 innings for the 'Cats, going 3-0 with 15 strikeouts and 1.67 ERA.
  Read Full Article