SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University was eliminated from the Northwest Conference softball tournament after Linfield rallied to win a suspended game 7-6 and then George Fox provided the knockout blow 3-0.

The Pirates, NWC regular season champions for the second straight year, conclude the regular season 29-13 and must hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. 

Linfield defeated George Fox 12-2 in the championship to improve to 29-13 and claim the league's automatic bid.  GFU finishes its regular season 30-13.

Game 1 – Linfield 7, Whitworth 6
The Wildcats rallied from a 6-1 deficit and scored twice in the top of the seventh inning of a game that concluded on Saturday morning after it was halted due to lightning on Friday evening.

Linfield's seventh inning rally began when Alissa Buss reached on an error.  After an out, Melanie Oord singled to right to put runners at the corners.  A stolen base moved another runner into scoring position and the tying run scored when the Pirates were unable to get the runner out at third base on a ground ball fielder's choice to shortstop.  Erin Taucher then added a sacrifice fly for the eventual game-winning run.

Shelby Saylors, who came on in relief in the fifth inning on Friday, shut down the Pirates in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.

Whitworth had taken a 6-1 lead on Friday.  Shannon Wessel's RBI single drove in a first-inning run.  Myranda Ramirez and Chelsey Hayes added RBI singles in the second for a 3-1 lead.  Then the pitching wheels came off for Linfield in the third as a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a bases-loaded walk forced in two more Pirate runs.  The Bucs added their final run in the fourth on Tessa Matthews' sacrifice fly. 

Linfield cut the margin to 6-5 in the fifth when Erin Kinney hit a three-run homer and Taucher followed with a solo home run.

Both starting pitchers got no decision.  Makayla Lefever started for Whitworth and allowed five runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings of work.  Brynn Lio started for Linfield and gave up five runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.

Saylors got the win with three innings of scoreless relief, improving to 16-4.  Madi Perez took the loss for the Pirates after she went 2.1 innings in relief, giving up two runs (one earned) on only one hit.

Game 2 – George Fox 3, Whitworth 0
Madison Sorensen threw a four-hit shutout as the Bruins knocked the Pirates out of the tournament and advanced to the championship round.  Sorensen struck out four and walked one to improve to 15-4.

Kimi Ito gave Sorensen all the runs she would need with a solo home run in the top of the third.  Kat Hylton added a two-run double in the sixth for a couple of insurance runs.

Shannon Wessel and Michelle Silva each singled in the seventh to give Whitworth hope.  But Sorensen was able to get pinch hitter Morgan Portlock to foul out to the catcher to end the game.

Lefever started in the circle for the Pirates and fell to 19-4 despite allowing only three hits in 5.2 innings.  Perez tossed the final 1.1 innings.

Championship – Linfield 12, George Fox 2
Cheyenne Fletcher went 4-5, driving in three runs and scoring twice, while Danielle Duman hit her ninth home run of the season to lead the Wildcats to a run-away win.

It didn't start out that way as Saylors started for Linfield and Sorensen took the circle for GFU.  The Wildcats only led 2-0 through five innings, but scored five runs each in the top of the sixth and top of the seventh frames.

Saylors went the distance, allowing two runs on eight hits and improved to 17-4.  In the tournament she went 3-0 with 0.88 ERA to lead Linfield to the title.

Sorensen tossed 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits while falling to 15-5.