MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Whitworth Pirates dropped the final two games of a Northwest Conference four-game series against Linfield on Sunday afternoon at Del Smith Stadium. The Wildcats completed the sweep with 10-0 and 10-2 wins.
Whitworth fell to 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the NWC while Linfield moved to 8-1 overall (4-0 NWC).
The Pirates will look to end the skid next weekend in their home opener against Willamette at Diana Marks Field.
Game 1 – Linfield 10, Whitworth 0 (5 inn.)
Tyler McNeley again stifled the Pirate offense in her second shutout of the weekend as Linfield took game one in five innings.
After being held to just one hit in game one, Whitworth doubled that number in the top of the first inning. Kelly Hruza singled up the middle and Taylor Hofheins ran out a single after her line drive ricocheted off McNeley's leg.
Hofheins (2-2) singled again and Reagan Ellis reached by error in the fourth, but the Pirates were unable to break through.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom half of the first after consecutive RBI singles. Claire Seats continued her impressive weekend at the plate with a three-run home run in the second. Kaili Saathoff added a two-run homer in the fourth before a double and sacrifice fly plated two more.
Momi Lyman (0-3) started in the circle and allowed seven earned runs in 3.1 innings. Reiss McIntyre pitched 0.2 innings of relief.
Game 2 – Linfield 10, Whitworth 2 (5 inn.)
Whitworth's offense woke up and produced its first runs of the series, but Pirate pitching struggled to shut down the Linfield offense in a five-inning loss.
The Wildcats scored four runs in the first inning on two hits. Three batters were hit by a pitch and two were walked in the inning, resulting in another long relief appearance for McIntyre. Linfield added three more runs in the second, two of which crossed on a home run by Brynn Nelson. Nelson's RBI single in the third gave the Wildcats an 8-0 lead.
Makena Hofford got the Pirate offense going with a walk to start the fifth inning. Two batters later, Ellis singled to advance Hofford into scoring position. Hofheins followed with an RBI single into right field that scored the first Whitworth run of the series. Kennedy Robison reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases before Kendel Sage's infield hit pushed another run across. A ground out ended the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Linfield's Cydney Hess hit an RBI single that scored a run and moved a Kaia Young to third base. In a double steal attempt, Hess stole second while Young broke for the plate. The throw to second base was cut off by Robison, who fired the ball back to Hoffheins for the out at the plate, but the ball slipped out of her glove on the tag and the run scored to end the game.
Ellis and Robison each went 2-3 to lead the Bucs at the plate. Hofford walked twice in three at-bats.
The Pirates matched a season-high seven hits in the game.
Teeghan Reams (0-1) made the start for Bucs and allowed four earned runs in 0.1 inning. McIntyre pitched the final 4.1 innings.
Tyler Warden (3-0) got the win for the Wildcats after giving up no runs on four hits in four innings. Lacey Vasas gave up both Whitworth runs in one inning of relief.
