SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth fell twice more in Sunday's doubleheader as Linfield finished off a four-game sweep to open Northwest Conference play with a 12-0 and 13-5 win at Marks Field.
The Pirates (4-12, 0-4 NWC) were shutout for the first three games in the series but found some rhythm in the series finale. The Wildcats (10-0, 4-0 NWC) remained unbeaten, and claimed the series sweep with the only two home runs of the series to run away from the Pirates.
Whitworth will look to snap its six-game skid next weekend at Willamette.
Game 1 – Linfield 12, Whitworth 0
Tayah Kelly tossed a no-hitter and struck out eight batters in her second shutout of the weekend, and Linfield took game one in five innings.
Linfield led 10-0 after two innings, pushing across eight in the second inning. Six of those runs were scored after a two-out error by the Pirate defense on a throw to first. Momi Lyman pitched just 1.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits. Annie Brose and Reiss McIntyre finished the game in relief for the Pirates.
Kelly did not surrender a base runner until the bottom of the fifth, when Madilyn Cannady drew a walk on a full count to break up the potential perfect game.
Game 2 – Linfield 13, Whitworth 5
Whitworth's bats came alive in game two of Sunday's doubleheader, and they lead 5-3 through four innings, but a sixth inning grand slam from Sophia Vander Somen broke the game open for Linfield.
Vander Somen's grand slam broke a 5-5 tie and Jacey Levas followed it with a solo shot on the next at bat to suffocate a hot start from Whitworth.
Jessica Rusconi came up huge in multiple big at-bats, leading the Pirates with x RBIs. Rusconi singled in the second inning to score pinch runner Amy Pederson and give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. With runners on second and third Rusconi ripped a double down the right field line to score both and complete a four-run inning which put Whitworth on top 5-3.
Jazz Johnson and Taylor Hofheins also came up with RBIs, Johnson's sacrifice fly scored Katie McKinnis and Hofheins put the ball in play to score Haley Montoya on a Linfield error.
Whitworth escaped a fourth inning jam with some trickery as Montoya cut off a throwdown to second and caught Meara Sain stealing home to preserve the Pirates 5-3 lead.
Linfield responded with a pair of tying runs in the fifth, Brynn Nelson sparked the inning with a leadoff double, Kyla Cross and Jaycee Levas each drove in a run with base hits to make it 5-5.
Tayah Kelly (7-0) pitched in relief of Tyler McNeley and held the Pirates scoreless for three innings. Corinne Vasiloff (2-6) got the start for Whitworth and allowed seven earned runs on 14 hits.
