By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications, (503) 370-6110
SALEM, Ore. -- Through six innings, Willamette University and Linfield University were battling it out in a close Northwest Conference softball game on Friday, March 24 at the WU Softball Field. Linfield held a 3-0 lead on the strength of Tayah Kelley's strong pitching. In the top of the seventh, Linfield pulled away with seven runs on five hits and one error. The Wildcats, who are ranked #9 in the NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, went on to defeat Willamette, 10-0, to open a four-game NWC series.
The second game on Friday was postponed due to impending darkness. It will be played on Monday, March 27 at the WU Softball Field, starting at 1 p.m. (PDT). The Bearcats also will host a doubleheader against the Wildcats on Sunday, March 26, with first pitch set for 12 p.m. (PDT).
Linfield improved to 15-2 on the season, 5-0 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 13-10 overall, 8-5 in the NWC.
Kelley completed the game with a two-hit shutout. She advanced her season record to 10-0, while striking out 11 batters and allowing just one walk. She also hit on batter. For Willamette, Jordyn Johnson (Jr., P, Winslow, AZ/Winslow HS) pitched a solid first six innings, but had difficulties against the Wildcats during the seventh stanza. She dropped to 4-5 on the season.
Willamette almost scored first in the second inning, as the Bearcats loaded the bases with a one-out double down the left field line by Kendra Knapp (Jr., RF, Portland, OR/Sunset HS), a two-out walk issued to Cora Erickson (Jr., C, Issaquah, WA/Issaquah HS), and a free base given to Alexandra Richards (So., OF, Bellevue, WA/Newport HS) after she was hit by a pitch. Johnson batted next and was called out on a full-count pitch near the top of the strike zone.
The Wildcats grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Claire Seats opened the inning with a single to left field and Natalie Brinda pinch-ran. Cydney Hess followed with a double to center that allowed Brinda to reach third. After a flyout, Brynn Nelson bunted toward third. The attempted squeeze play ended in a fielder's choice at home plate, as Brinda beat the throw. Hess went to third and Nelson ended the play at second. Hess scored on a groundout to first base by Ashley Sutton.
Linfield increased its advantage to 3-0 in the fifth inning. Katie Phillips walked with two outs and Seats hit a single up the middle. Phillips reached third on the hit and then scored on an errant throw from third to second, as the Bearcats tried to throw out Seats.
The big hit in the top of the seventh for the Wildcats was a bases-loaded triple by Phillips down the left field line. The three runs doubled Linfield's lead to 6-0. Later, in the inning key hits were RBI doubles by Sutton and Ashlyn Aven.
Willamette's two hits against Kelley were Knapp's double in the second frame and a single by Faith Collar (So., P/UT, Portland, OR/Roosevelt HS) in the sixth inning. Hess was 3 for 5 with three doubles, and two runs scored for Linfield.
