TACOMA, Wash. --- The Pacific Lutheran University softball team battled through a weekend full of poor weather conditions in order to play the second game of the series against Linfield in a Sunday standalone. The No.2-ranked Wildcats scored five in the fifth to take game two by a score of 6-2.
 
Graduate student Rachael Rhinehart got the starting nod inside the circle for the Lutes on Sunday afternoon, escaping the first inning unscathed, stranding a runner on second. She managed to escape once again in the second inning, as the third out came at home plate when a Wildcat attempted to take home on a passed ball.
 
Linfield continued to get runners on the base paths in the third inning, as Rhinehart walked the bases loaded with no outs. A ground ball resulting in a 4-2 force out at home followed by a strikeout and a foul-out meant Rhinehart would once again get herself out of a jam. The first hit for the Lutes came in the home half of the third, as Jaycie Simpliciano singled to left field with two outs, later stealing second. Unfortunately for the Lutes, she was left stranded there to end the threat.
 
Rhinehart stranded another runner on third to end the top of the fourth, meanwhile the Lute bats got hot in the home half. Zoe Smithson led off with a double, followed by a Kamalani Doctor bunt single to put two in scoring position with no outs. Ashleighn McAuley's bunt forced an errant throw by the Wildcats, scoring Smithson, thus leading to Doctor also scoring on a wild pitch. Through four, the Lutes led 2-0.
 
A lead off walk prefaced a two-run home run for Linfield in the fifth, knotting the game for a moment. A pair of walks helped the Wildcats score one more following a single past the glove of Brooke Tilson. Then two fielder's choice plays brought two more runs home, giving the Wildcats a 5-2 lead. The opposition tacked on one more in the sixth, when a lead off double came around to score on a wild pitch, making it a 6-2 game entering the home half of the sixth.
 
Doctor hit a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth, but was later picked off when McAuley's line out to the second baseman caught her in the middle of the base path. With the Lutes facing their final three outs in the seventh, a trio of ground outs ended the game; giving the No.2 Wildcats a 6-2 win on the road.

"We were challenged this weekend at our field, and I appreciate the patience and resilience of every single player and coach for Linfield, as well as our Lutes. Today, offensively we did not make adjustments at the plate. We faced the same pitcher as we did on Friday and didn't produce. I was happy with Rachael Rhinehart and how she attacked their hitters and kept them off balance in the box. She did not allow many hard-hit balls at all. That opponent is not a team you can give up freebies to, and we  allowed 10 runners to reach base for free. I'm looking forward to cleaning some things up at practice this week." Said Head Coach Traci Barrett.
 
Doctor led the way, going 2-3 at the plate, accounting for half of the Lutes four total hits in the rubber match. Smithson and Simpliciano each had one to round out the Lutes lineup. McAuley's bunt earned her the Lutes lone RBI of the game, meanwhile Simpliciano had one steal. Rhinehart went all seven innings of the game inside the circle, throwing 152-pitches, allowing six runs while striking out four and walking eight.
 
The Lutes series against Linfield will continue at a later date. The team will travel to Newberg, Ore. next weekend for a four-game series against the George Fox Bruins.
 
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