McMINNVILLE, Ore. - In a Saturday afternoon battle for first
place between the two two teams in the Northwest Conference
softball standings, Linfield snatched both ends of a doubleheader
from Pacific Lutheran at the Linfield diamond.
The 16th-ranked Wildcats (17-4, 9-1 NWC) turned a tight game in
the opener into a rout, winning 10-2 in six innings. The nightcap,
in which Linfield scratched out a 4-3 victory, was much more in
line with what was expected. PLU (10-5, 8-2 NWC) saw its eight-game
winning streak snapped.
In the opener, Claire Velaski tossed a three-hitter, fanning
eight Lutes on the way to her sixth pitching victory of the season.
Velaski and PLU starter Ramona Lorton matched four shutout innings
before the Wildcats exploded for seven runs in the fifth
inning, including aa three-run homer from Emily Keagbine.
The Lutes fought back in the top of the sixth. Stacey Hagensen's triple drove home Caitlin Brown from first base.
Another run-scoring single by Beth Haahr cut the PLU deficit to
7-2. Linfield came right back with three runs in the bottom of the
sixth to end the game on the eigth-run rule.
Lepp went 3-for-4 to pace the 'Cats at the plate.
Doucette, Keagbine and Baxter each had two hits as the Wildcats
logged 12 hits in the scorebook. Lorton took the loss, her
first against four victories this season.
Lepp's RBI single in the fourth inning proved to be the
difference in the second game, though the outcome remained in
question until the final out.
Linfield built a 3-0 lead after three innings, with
Karleigh Prestianni hammering her eighth home run of the
season to score two of the runs.
PLU plated a run in the fourth when Kaaren Hatlen doubled
down the right-field line and then scored on a single by
Lauren Watson.
Linfield pushed across the winning run in the fourth when Lepp
drove in Kayla Hubrick, who led off with a double.
PLU made the game interesting in the final two innings. Brown
and Hatlen took turns driving in runs with singles to draw the
Lutes within one run. The Lutes had the tying run in
scoring position in the seventh, but Glenelle Nitta popped out to
Friend in right field, clinching the doubleheader sweep for the
Wildcats.
Wildcats pitcher Lauren Harvey gave up nine hits and struck out
just two batters, but the sophomore righthander weathered the
storm, holding the Lutes without a run in a bases-loaded
situation in the sixth.
Monti Califano went 3-for-3 for the Lutes and Hatlen and
Watson each had two hits for PLU.
Pacific Lutheran returns to Northwest Conference action tomorrow
when it plays the host Pacific Boxers in a doubleheader
starting at 2 p.m. The game time has been moved back from noon
because of expected early Sunday morning showers.
(Courtesy of Linfield Sports Information Office.)
