McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Linfield scored the winning run on a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Pacific Lutheran, 3-2, in the Northwest Conference Softball Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
Linfield, now 36-6, won the Northwest Conference regular season title and was unbeaten in three games in the NWC tournament. It receives the NWC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III postseason tournament.
The defending Division III national champion Lutes, who lost their first game to Whitworth, came back to eliminate Pacific on Saturday afternoon and Whitworth on Sunday morning before dropping the title game to the host Wildcats. PLU, 27-17 this season, would need to receive an at-large bid from the national tournament selection committee in order to have a chance to defend its national title.
PLU 9, Whitworth 4
One day after getting drummed by Whitworth, 11-2 in five innings, the Lutes eliminated the Pirates from the conference tournament.
The Pirates took a 3-0 lead after scoring a run in the second and two more in the third, but after leaving three runners in scoring position through the first two innings, PLU finally broke through for seven runs in the bottom of the third.
Montessa Califano led off with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored when the Whitworth shortstop misplayed Melissa Harrelson's infield single. With one out Kaaren Hatlen was hit by a pitch, and Katie Lowery followed with a run-scoring base hit. At that point, Megan Fisher relieved starting pitcher Riley Fritz, and she promptly walked Kelsey Robinson to load the bases. Lindsey Matsunaga cleared them with one swing, belting a grand slam for her second homer of the season, putting the Lutes on top 6-3. It didn't stay that way for long as Haley Harshaw hit a solo homer, her second this year, giving PLU a 7-3 advantage after three innings.
The Lutes added a run in the fourth on Lowery's RBI double and another in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Lowery. Whitworth scored its final run on back-to-back doubles in the top of the seventh inning.
Leah Butters went the distance for the Lutes to improve her season record to 9-3. She allowed four earned runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out one.
Fritz took the loss and ended her season with a 14-7 record.
Megan John had three hits and two RBI to lead Whitworth, while Lowery collected three hits and three RBI to pace PLU's 12-hit attack. Califano and Matsunaga both had two hits and Matsunaga, of course, had the four RBI from her grand slam.
Linfield 3, PLU 2
Ashley Garcia's third hit of the game, a single into center field, drove in Karleigh Prestianni, who hit a leadoff double, with the game-winning run in the sixth inning.
Pacific Lutheran scored its two runs on six hits, but it was a handful of squandered scoring opportunities in the early innings that proved crucial in the final outcome.
The Lutes scored their first run in the top of the first when Melissa Harrelson hit a single and stole second before Amanda Hall drew a walk. Kaaren Hatlen drove in Harrelson with a base hit, and after the second out, Kelsey Robinson hit a single to load the bases. Linfield got out of the inning when Matsunaga hit a fly ball to right field.
An inning later Harshaw drew a walk and Califano hit a single with one out, and after both runners moved into scoring position on Harrelson's ground out, the inning ended on Hall's pop fly to shortstop.
Linfield slugger Lisa Yamamoto tied the score with a leadoff homer in the second inning, but Hatlen put her team back on top, 2-1, with a leadoff blast of her own in the third. The home run was the 12th of the season for the 2012 first team Division III All-America designated hitter.
After Lowery followed with a single, Linfield ace Karina Paavola retired 12 consecutive batters, keeping PLU at bay while her teammates tied the score by scoring an unearned run in the third. Prestianni hit a single to centerfield to drive in Grace Middlestadt, who reached on a one-out fielding error.
Pacific Lutheran had one last chance to tie it in the top of the seventh when Harshaw was hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a sacrifice by Califano, but Linfield closer Montana McNealy entered the game and retired Harrelson and Hall to give her team the win and the title.
Paavola improved her record to 22-2 by pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. McNealy recorded her first save, and the team's first save, by getting the final two batters.
Hatlen, who relieved starting pitcher Robinson, took the loss and is 10-9. Hatlen allowed one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Robinson went 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned on three hits with no walks or strikeouts.
The Lutes finished with six hits, led by Hatlen who was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.
- PLU -
