SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University dropped the first two games of its first home Northwest Conference softball series of the season to defending conference champion Linfield on Saturday afternoon at Diana Marks Field.
The third-ranked Wildcats (20-2 overall, 8-2 NWC) showed their strength offensively, taking game one 8-2 and game two 11-0.
The Pirates (2-15, 0-6 NWC) will look to steal a win in Sunday's doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.
Game 1: Linfield 8, Whitworth 2
Whitworth tallied eight hits against 2025 NWC Pitcher of the Year Tyler McNeley but couldn't overcome the Wildcat offensive attack.
A sacrifice fly in the first put Linfield up a run in the first inning. A bunt single and error in the second inning added a pair to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
The Bucs responded with a run in the third after a Reagan Ellis legged out an infield hit and a throwing error allowed Kendel Sage to score. Ellis' hit was the 100th of her career.
Linfield extended their lead in the fourth. McKenna Parmelee and Kaia Young each hit a solo home run and Meara Sain followed with an RBI double to put the Wildcats up 6-1. After two scoreless innings, Sain pushed two more runs across with another double.
Whitworth got a run back in the seventh after Sage hit an infield RBI single. Ellis followed with another hit to left before a strikeout ended the game.
Ellis led the Bucs with three hits at the plate, her fifth multi-hit game of the season. Megan Highfill reached base three times with two hits and a walk.
Madison Sanchez (1-5) allowed four earned runs and eight hits with three strikeouts in the four-inning start for Whitworth. Trinity Miller allowed two runs on three hits in three innings of relief.
McNeley (12-1) allowed eight hits and two runs, one earned, with nine strikeouts in a full seven innings of work. Five Wildcats recorded two hits, led by Sain with three RBIs.
Game 2: Linfield 11, Whitworth 0 (6 inn.)
The Linfield offense exploded for 10 extra base hits and Destiny Cornwell shut the Bucs down from the circle.
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the second inning with a two-run home run off the bat of Parmelee, her second of the day. Ashlyn Aven added a solo home run of her own in the third. Linfield's lead extended to seven in the fifth following an RBI groundout, RBI double and RBI triple. Three more RBI doubles and a sac fly in the sixth pushed the Wildcat advantage to 11.
Lina Schwippert (1-6) took the loss after allowing five earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work. Miller allowed four runs in one inning of relief. Tessa Hahn recorded the lone hit of the game for Whitworth.
Cornwell (8-1) pitched a full six innings and struck out two in the circle for Linfield. Sain again led at the plate, recording three doubles to raise her tally to five on the day. Parmelee added three hits and a team-high four RBIs.
