McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Whitworth hit a pair of two runs home runs, but top-seeded Linfield had a pair of big innings to defeat the Pirates 13-4 in the opening game of the 2022 Northwest Conference softball tournament on Friday. 

Whitworth (25-16) will play a loser-out game at noon on Saturday.  Bailey Paul went 4-4 with five RBIs for the Wildcats (34-7), who advance to a winners' bracket game at 2:30. 

After Linfield grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when a sacrifice fly drove in an unearned run, Heather Menzer hit a two-run home run one batter after Maddy Thomas was hit by a pitch to give the Pirates a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the second.

The Wildcats answered with four runs in the bottom of the second.  Paul had a two-run single and Katie Phillips followed with a two-run double.

Paul added a two-run double down the left field line in the bottom of the third to extend Linfield's lead to 7-2.  Jazz Johnson followed a Menzer walk with Whitworth's second two-run home run of the game to pull the Pirates within 7-4 in the top of the fourth.

The Wildcats poured on the runs in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six times to nearly double their total.  Brynn Nelson's two-run single got things going and Paul and Phillips each added RBI singles later in the inning.

Corinne Vasiloff (14-13) started in the circle for Whitworth and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 1.1 innings.  Momi Lyman followed in relief and gave up eight runs on ten hits in 2.1 innings.  Annie Brose pitched the final out.

Tayah Kelly (21-3) earned the win after allowing four runs on three hits.  The NCAA Division III strikeout leader had 11 against the Pirates.