McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Nationally-ranked Linfield kept visiting Whitworth off of the scoreboard to sweep the Pirates in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Friday evening. The 11th-ranked Wildcats (12-2 overall, 4-0 NWC) won the opener 5-0 and won the second game 8-0 in six innings.
The teams will attempt to get in a single game on Saturday, beginning at 10:00 am before expected heavy rains set in.
Game 1: Linfield 5, Whitworth 0
The Wildcats scored all of their runs in the first two innings and starting pitcher Tayah Kelly went the distance while limiting the Pirates to only three hits.
Kamryn Mobley drove in the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first with a single to center field. Emma Podliska added a two-run single in the second inning to start a three-run rally. Claire Seats added an RBI single to finish the rally.
After Linfield scored five runs on seven hits in the first two innings, Whitworth starting pitcher Corinne Vasiloff limited the high-powered Wildcats to only one hit over the next four innings.
The Pirates' best scoring chance came when Haley Montoya tripled with one out in the fourth inning. It was Whitworth's first hit of the game. The Wildcats made a great defensive play in the next at-bat, ranging far to catch a foul off the bat of Maddy Thomas outside left field and doubling Montoya off at third.
The Pirates also had a runner at third with one out in the sixth, but Kelly struck out the next two Pirates to end the threat. Kelly struck out nine batters to improve to 8-0 this season.
Vasiloff (6-5) allowed all five runs on eight hits in six innings. She walked four and struck out two.
Game 2: Linfield 8, Whitworth 0 (6 inn.)
The Wildcats broke open a pitchers' duel by scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and adding two more in the sixth to win on the eight-run mercy rule.
The game's only run through the first four and a half innings scored on Abi Proffit's double in the second inning.
Whitworth had loaded the bases on three walks in the top of the second, but left the bases loaded. The Bucs again loaded the bases on three walks with two outs in the fourth, but did not score.
Linfield put together a big rally in the fifth, scoring five runs on six hits. Katie Phillips had a two-run single to close the rally. The Wildcats ended the game with two runs in the sixth, the second scoring on a Whitworth error.
Vasiloff started the second game and pitched the first inning and two-thirds, giving up the first run. Annie Brose came on in relief and kept the Wildcats scoreless for 2.1 innings, allowing only two hits. Vasiloff (6-6) returned in the fifth and allowed all five runs in the inning. She started the sixth and gave up one more before Laney Flynn finished up and allowed the final run.
Haley Wadsworth (3-1) started for Linfield and went 3.2 innings without giving up a run, despite walking six batters. Tyler Warden finished up the final 2.1 innings.
