SALEM, Va. ā Linfield senior
Cydney Hess hit two home runs, including a two-strike, two-out blast to center field in the seventh inning that pulled the Wildcats from a three-run deficit into a 6-6 tie with Simpson (Iowa) on the third day of action at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Finals.
Ā
Hess's six RBIs equaled her career-high, but it wasn't enough to push the Wildcats past the Storm, which prevailed 7-6 in eight innings in Saturday's first elimination game at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex.
Ā
Linfield saw its season draw to a close with a record of 43-8. The Wildcats will head back to Oregon on Sunday with the satisfaction of having won the McMinnville Region and McMinnville Super Regional tournaments, and competed well at the NCAA Championships, especiallyĀ Friday's thrilling 3-2 victory over No. 1-ranked Virginia Wesleyan. Their two losses were came by two runs to Redlands and one run to Simpson, respectively,Ā a pair of teams ranked among the nation's top 10. For a programĀ faced withĀ breaking in seven new starters to begin the season, placing fifth in the nationĀ among 420 Division III softball programs should be considered a supreme accomplishment.
Ā
Simpson (41-7) advances to play Redlands starting at 11 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. PDT). The Storm must defeat the Bulldogs twice in order to move forward to the best-of-three championship series starting Tuesday.
Ā
Hess opened Saturday's scoring with a two-run homer down the left-field line in the second inning. Simpson promptly responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame.
Ā
The teams traded single runs in the third before Simpson took its first lead on Ashlyn Steen's RBI single in the fourth, then vaulted in front 6-3 on Megan Heidelbauer's two-run homer to left field in the sixth.
Ā
With two runners on base in the top of the seventh, Hess launched her 45th career home run, scoring
McKenna Parmelee and pinch runner
Brooklyn Sweatman.
Ā
In the top of the eighth, the Wildcats put runners at first and third with two outs, but couldn't get the hit they needed to recapture the lead.
Ā
The Storm took advantage from there, loading the bases on
Tyler McNeley with one out. Brielyn Ginn's single to left field was just beyond the reach of
Breanna Bartek, enabling Steen to scoot home for the winning run.
Ā
McNeley started and finished the game, with reliever
Destiny Cornwell pitching the seventh and eighth innings. Cornwell took the loss to fall to 15-3.
Ā
Linfield totaled 13 hits on the day. Hess went 3 for 4 while Parmelee,
Meara Sain,
Lexiss Antle and
Kaia Young each added two hits.
Ā
Storm reliever Marina Cronin earned win to improve to 18-2. She pitched the final four innings after taking over for Emma LaFave.
Ā
Steen,Ā Heidelbauer, Addison Gookin, Makayla Fowler and Brynn Ortlund all had two hits for Simpson.
Ā
ALSO ON SATURDAY
Belhaven outlasted Rowan 4-2 Saturday in the second elimination game. Redlands and Trine enjoyed the day off. Belhaven will now face Trine in the other semifinal matchup on Sunday.
Ā
THANK YOU SENIORS
Due to Linfield's extended stay at the NCAA Championships, graduating seniors
Cydney Hess and
Ashlyn Aven will miss Sunday's traditional university commencement on Linfield's Commencement Green.
Ā
Aven finishes her four seasons ranking No. 5 on the career ladder for slugging percentage (.705), third in total bases (159), fifth in home runs (44) and ninth in RBIs (169). Among the single-season records, Aven ranks second in home runs (25) and RBIs (89), and third in total bases (159).
Ā
Hess concludes her four seasons as a Wildcat ranking second all-time in games played and games started (207), fifth in RBIs (223), fifth in runs scored (182), fifth in home runs (45), and sixth in hits (249) and slugging percentage (.701). In the single-season record book, Hess is sixth in RBIs (70) and ninth in home runs (17).
Ā
CAT SCRATCH
Linfield finished the 2026 season with over 40 victories for the fourth straight year and eighth time in school history . . . Linfield's monumental 3-2 victory over top-ranked Virginia Wesleyan was the program's 100th NCAA playoff win. . .the Wildcats' 113 doubles are the second-highest total ever logged in one season at Linfield, three short of team record of 116 registered by the 2024 squad. . . Sain concluded her junior season with an NCAA Division III record 33 doubles. . . Bartek's 38 stolen bases came within four of equaling graduated All-American Stephanie Rice's single-season record of 42 set in 2007. . . Linfield set a new team season record for stolen bases with 153 . . .McNeley made her 37th pitching appearance on Saturday, surpassing her 2025 season total, now fourth-most in program history.
Ā
