MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Whitworth University softball team opened Northwest Conference play with two losses at Linfield on Saturday afternoon. The Pirates fell 5-0 in game one before dropping game two 15-0 in five innings.
Whitworth is now 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the NWC while Linfield moved to 6-1 overall (2-0 NWC). The series will conclude with a second doubleheader on Sunday starting at 11:00 am.
Game 1 – Linfield 5, Whitworth 0
Tyler McNeley held the Pirate bats to just one hit in a Wildcat victory.
Whitworth threatened in the first after Katie McKinnis advanced to third base by way of error and wild pitch, but the Pirates would not have another runner in scoring position.
Linfield scored the first run of the game in the second inning with a two-out RBI single off the bat of Ashley Sutton.
After two runners advanced due to a passed ball, Brynn Nelson singled and the Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Linfield singled to start the inning before Ashlyn Aven hit a two-run home run to stretch the lead to five.
Taylor Hofheins hit a sharp ground ball through the left side in the top of the seventh inning for the lone Pirate hit.
Momi Lyman (0-2) started her second game in the circle for the Pirates and allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits in six innings.
McNeley (4-1) earned the win after giving up no runs, one hit and striking out eight.
Game 2 – Linfield 15, Whitworth 0 (5 Inn.)
Linfield attacked early and used an 11-run first inning to break the game open and secure a doubleheader sweep.
The Wildcats opened the game with three hits, including two doubles and a walk to grab an early 3-0 lead. Two more runs were walked in before a pair of two-run singles extended the Linfield lead to nine. After a hit batter again loaded the bases, a third two-run single plated runs 10 and 11. A fly-out ended an inning that held 17 Wildcat batters and three Whitworth pitchers.
Linfield added two more runs in the third after stringing together three two-out hits. A two-run double scored two more Wildcat runs in the third. Whitworth's Teeghan Reams settled in from the circle and allowed just one hit over the final two innings of play.
The Pirates recorded one hit in each inning after the first but could not get a run across the plate. McKinnis, Reams, Megan Highfill, and Kendel Sage each singled.
Reiss McIntyre (0-2) started in the circle and gave up 6 runs in 0.1 inning. Annie Brose appeared in 0.1 inning of relief in the first before Reams pitched the final 3.1 innings.
Tyler Warden (2-0) earned the win and pitched all five innings for the Wildcats.
Claire Seats (3-4, five RBI's) and Meara Sain (3-4, four RBI's) were the top performers for Linfield at the plate.
