By Evan Giddings, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- Entering the final week of the season with an 8-2 record in its last 10 games, the Willamette University softball team will look to keep momentum when it takes on archrival Linfield College in two doubleheaders. The first two games will be on Saturday, April 18 at the WU Softball Field with the last two games on Sunday, April 19 at Linfield. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. (PDT) each day.

The Bearcats are 15-19 overall with a 12-12 Northwest Conference record after sweeping Lewis & Clark College in four games this past weekend.

Willamette is tied with Pacific Lutheran University for fifth place in the NWC. The Bearcats will have to defeat Linfield (14-10) in at least three of four games this weekend, while winning one more game than PLU wins against University of Puget Sound, in order to reach the four-team NWC Tournament. WU also would advance in a three-way or four-way tie at 15-13.

Against the Pioneers last weekend, Willamette rallied from a six-run deficit in the first game, capped by a walk-off triple by Erin Norris (Sr., 3B/C, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) to give the team a 9-8 win.Hayley Glantz (Sr., P, Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS) provided WU with 4 2/3 innings of quality relief to earn the win. In the second game, the Bearcats also fell behind to an early three-run deficit, but fought back to eventually triumph 6-3.

The second doubleheader saw another walk-off hit in game one for a final score of 4-3, before the Bearcats defeated the Pioneers is game two, 8-4. Ashley Pender (Jr., 2B, Reno, NV/North Valleys HS) drove in Danielle Saunders (Fr., OF, Salem, OR/McNary HS) and Heather Winslow (Sr., 1B, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) on a single to right field with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning in the first game.

Jade Smith (So., P, Chico, CA/Chico HS) earned both wins, throwingall seven innings in the first game and pitching the final 6 1/3 innings in the second game. She tossed a four-hitter to open the day, and gave up seven hits in game two. On the season, Smith has achieved a 2.71 ERA in 113 2/3 innings. She has 16 starts and 11 complete games while registering 41 strikeouts.

From the offensive side, WU hit .394 (43 for 109) against Lewis & Clark, recording 12 extra-base hits. Leading the attack was Kayla Rieger (Sr., 3B/OF, Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS/Adelphi Univ.) who extended her hitting streak to 21 games while going 6 for 12 with a double, a triple, and three stolen bases.

As a team, the Bearcats are second in the NWC in hitting with a .332 average and have an impressive eight batters hitting over .300. Myranda Ramirez (So., CF, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) is still leading the NWC with a .500 batting average (48 for 96) and Winslow is second behind her with a .414 batting average (41 for 99). Winslow leads the conference with 27 stolen bases.

Also, Rieger increased her average to an even .400 (42 for 105) and holds the conference lead with four triples. Pender is hitting .364 (36 for 99) with a team-high 27 runs batted in, and Amanda Absher is batting .354 (29 for 99). Absher also is tied for the team lead with 10 doubles.

Others hitting above the .300 mark include Carrie Fox(Fr., LF, Dupont, WA/Steilacoom HS), Jenna King (Sr., OF, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo HS), who has scored 20 runs, and Norris, who is tied for the team lead with 13 walk.

Linfield is batting .344 as a team this season and leads the conference with 39 home runs. The Wildcats also rank first in the NWC in on-base percentage (.409) and slugging percentage (.533) while ranking second in runs scored (237), RBIs (222), and hits (339).

The Wildcat bats feature Danielle Duman (So., OF/1B) and Alissa Buss (Fr., 2B/SS/OF). Duman leads the NWC with 13 home runs as well as 44 RBIs. She is hitting .304. Alissa Buss carries a team-high .408 average (51 for 125) while also scoring 27 runs and swiping 14 bases.

In the circle, Linfield's pitching staff is led by Montana McNealy (Sr., P), who leads the conference with a 1.20 ERA. She also tops the NWC with 17 wins and 132 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings pitched. She has tossed 16 complete games and has registered two saves.