South Oregon News

'Cats sweep PLU 9-1 and 8-5 to extend lead in NWC

 Tayah Kelley earned a win and a save in the pitching circle and Kaili Saathoff went 5 for 7 and hit her first career home run, leading the seventh-ranked Linfield Wildcats to a Northwest Conference doubleheader sweep of 25th-rated Pacific Lutheran on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium.
 
Winning the opener 9-1 in five innings and the nightcap 8-5, Linfield (21-3, 11-1 NWC) reached the 20-win plateau for their 26th consecutive winning season. PLU (18-10, 10-6 NWC) dropped its third straight contest.

For the day, Saathoff pounded two doubles, a triple and a home run, while driving in four runs and scoring four times. Kelley struck out a combined eight batters in the two outings, raising her season win-loss record to an NCAA Division III-leading 14-0.
 
GAME 1: Linfield 9, Pacific Lutheran 1, 5 innings
With Kelley striking out six and holding PLU to just one hit, Linfield's hitters tallied 10 hits, with Katie Phillips, Claire Seats, Brynn Nelson and Ashley Sutton all accounting for two each.
 
After Phillips singled and stole second base in the bottom of the first inning, Seats broke the ice with a two-run blast to left field.
 
The Lutes put their lone run on the scoreboard in the top of the second, as Kennedy Kila launched a solo home run over the center-field wall.
 
Linfield rung up three more runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead, fueled by Phillips' two-run homer and an RBI double from Nelson.
 
After a 28-minute rain delay, the Wildcats immediately positioned runners at second and third with no outs, opening the door for a sacrifice RBI by Baily Paul, scoring pinch runner Natalie Brinda. Saathoff then followed up with a two-run homer, the first of her career, to push the Linfield advantage to 8-1.
 
Sutton delivered the knockout blow in the bottom of the fifth, drilling an RBI double to end the game by virtue of the eight-run rule.
 
Lutes starter Cassidy Conrad lasted 3 1/3 innings before being chased from the game following Saathoff's homer. Conrad (8-4) managed just one strikeout while giving up seven hits. Her replacement, Rachel Treves, allowed three hits while facing six batters.
 
Kelley (14-0) allowed just a single hit in the game, that coming on Kila's home run in the second. She began the game by striking out the side in the first inning, sending notice that she was on her game. Kelley finished with six strikeouts.
 
GAME 2: Linfield 8, Pacific Lutheran 5
Saathoff went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple and Seats hammered her second home run of the day.
 
The Lutes scored first in the opening frame, getting an run-scoring single to left field by Casey Wright.
 
Sutton evened the game at 1 with a double to left field, plating Cydney Hess from second base.
 
The Lutes loaded the bases in the third, but Brooke Tilson lined out into the glove of Wildcats shortstop Katrina Johns.
 
Saathoff's lofting double to center field in gave the 'Cats their first lead of the contest, driving Paul home all the way from first base. Phillips stepped to the plate immediately after and drilled a double, easily scoring Saathoff for a 3-1 Wildcat lead. Nelson laced a double to left-center, pushing home Phillips.
 
Linfield took an 8-3 lead, pushing across four more runs in the fourth inning. Saathoff sent a triple deep to right field, Phillips tapped an RBI single and Seats delivered a two-run homer to left field.
 
PLU closed the gap to 8-5 in the fifth, but that's as close as the Lutes would come.
 
Tyler Warden earned the win in the circle to improve to 7-1. Warden scattered seven hits and three walks, facing 21 batters. Kelley pocketed her second save of the season, pitching the final two frames in relief.
 
NEXT
The Wildcats and Lutes are set to complete their four-game NWC series Sunday. The first pitch has been pushed back to 12 noon to allow additional time for field preparation. 

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