Kurtis Williams
Review staff writer
The softball team went 8-2 against some of the nation’s best teams in a tournament during Spring Break in Orange, Calif.
Before the trip, Linfield was ranked No. 22 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Coming home the team was ranked at No. 6, passing Northwest Conference opponent Willamette University.
After defeating Chapman University 8-0 March 23, Linfield faced its toughest competition yet, playing the University of St. Thomas in a double header.
Ranked third by the NFCA, the Tommies took the ’Cats to their first extra inning game of the year. Down 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning, sophomore third baseman Emily Keagbine singled in two runs to give Linfield its first lead of the game.
After St. Thomas tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, Linfield bats fired up in the eighth for four runs, three coming from freshman shortstop Stacie Doucette.
“It gives them confidence that they can play nationally, not just in conference,” head coach Jackson Vaughan said of his young team.
In the next game, Linfield suffered its first loss of the season: a 4-2 defeat against Williams College on March 24.
“This is one of the tougher Spring Break trips we’ve had,” Vaughan said. “We were capable of going 10-0, but we’re happy with 8-2 with such a young team.”
The second loss came in a 5-4 game against the University of La Verne on March 26. Vaughan said he knows the two losses could have been wins but also knows the close wins could have easily been losses.
Linfield also recorded wins against Hamline University, Claremont Mudd-Scripps College, two against the University of Redlands and finished out the tournament with two wins against Pomona-Pitzer College.
Several ’Cats had good trips, and overall the hitting and pitching were on par. Sophomore second baseman Alex Hartmann led the team with nine runs batted in; Doucette had eight.
Keagbine led the team in hits with 15, followed by Hartmann and Doucette, who each had 12. Freshman catcher Emilee Lepp and junior right fielder Rochelle Friend also had great numbers with 11 and 10 hits, respectively.
Senior Kendra Strahm threw 29 innings, giving up 25 hits and 10 runs, striking out 13. Senior Brittany Miller tossed 19 innings, surrendering only three hits and six runs while striking out 36 batters and walking only five.
Vaughan said Miller, who has been the NWC Pitcher of the Year for the previous two years, has been limited by arm problems and was held back for postseason play. Miller has logged a record of 7-1 in 12 games pitched with an astounding 0.76 earned run average with 37 innings pitched.
With a 20-2 record and undefeated in NWC play, Linfield plays at George Fox University on April 4 and at Lewis & Clark College on April 5. Both series begin at noon.