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The Linfield Review

The student news site of Linfield University

The Linfield Review

The student news site of Linfield University

The Linfield Review

Softball goes 12 innings for first win of the season

Jordon Jacobo/For the Review

-photo by Jordon Jacobo/For the Review

Katrina Peavey

For the Review

The crack of bats and the echo of softballs against well-worn mitts signal the start of spring and the beginning of what is projected to be another successful year for the Linfield softball team.

The ’Cats started off with a bang, walloping Concordia University in two non-conference games Feb. 26 in Portland at Delta Park.

Up next for the ’Cats is the start of Northwest Conference play against Whitworth University March 1.

Linfield’s 2-0 win over the Cavaliers in the first doubleheader of the 2008 season kicked off with a single to left center by senior second baseman Jenny Marshall.

After a pop fly to right field by senior shortstop Meredith Brunette and a powerful hit to center field by senior pitcher and outfielder Erica Hancock, Marshall flew into home with the first run of the game.

Marshall scored the second point of the game in the sixth inning off a fly to center field by Hancock.

Junior pitcher Kendra Strahm pitched a solid six innings and racked up six strikeouts. Junior pitcher Brittany Miller finished the game in the seventh inning with a save and striking out three of the four batters.

“The games gave us the experience that we’ll need this weekend against our biggest conference rivals,” Strahm said. “We absolutely didn’t play to our potential, but it gives us room for improvement which we know we will be able to achieve.”

The second game against Concordia ran 12 innings and resulted in another win over the Cavaliers, 10-4.

This past weekend the team hosted a marathon fundraiser game, which allowed it to get back into the swing of things.

“We definitely picked up our intensity this last week in our marathon game,” Brunette said. “We got to see how everyone plays and who steps up.”

The games raised money for the softball program because players sent letters requesting pledges for each of the 28 innings played.

“Our team slogan this year is ‘Prove it,’” Strahm said. “We want to prove to the entire nation that we deserve to win the national championship again.”

Most of the varsity players returned to the team this year, and a strong freshman class promises to add to the lineup, head coach Jackson Vaughan said.

“The freshman are pushing our veterans,” Vaughan said. “We should see some (freshmen) in the line up throughout the season.”

Linfield heads into its season ranked first in the nation and earned 68 points in the preseason coaches’ poll.

“The team would be disappointed if we didn’t make a strong run in the playoffs,” Vaughan said. “We want to put ourselves in a position to be national champions again.”

Whitworth University is ranked second in the 2008 Northwest Conference softball standings with 58 points.

The first conference game of the season is scheduled for March 1 and 2 at noon against Whitworth in Pasco, Wash. Conference is full of talented teams.

“Our goal this year is to take one game at a time, one pitch at a time and one out at a time,” Brunette said.

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