Kurtis Willaims
Encouraged by three wins in four games against No. 10 ranked Willamette University, the softball team has regained the top spot in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll.
The first doubleheader was held in Salem on April 25. The Wildcats were powered by freshman catcher Emilee Lepp’s seventh home run of the year in the first inning. Junior Candice Fujino hit her first home run in the second leading Linfield to a 3-0 win.
With Linfield’s all-American pitcher Brittany Miller on form, she was the only defense the ’Cats needed. Miller gave up two hits while striking out 13 in a seven-inning complete game shutout.
The back end of the doubleheader was a wild game.
Two hits and three Willamette errors in the first inning led to the Linfield scoring three runs. Two more Wildcat hits and two more errors by the Bearcats in the third plated two more for the ’Cats. Fujino added a run in the top of the sixth after hitting a lead off double.
Willamette fought back with two in the bottom of the third and one in each of the next three innings, putting the score at 6-5 for Linfield.
Linfield batted around in the seventh inning as the Wildcat offense went off for seven runs. Fujino hit her second double, and Lepp and freshman shortstop Staci Doucette hit back-to-back home runs in the inning. The runs let the ’Cats coast to a 13-5 victory.
The win secured a sixth-straight Northwest Conference title for the team.
The series moved to Wildcat territory for the last games of the NWC season and senior day for Miller and fellow pitcher senior Kendra Strahm.
Because of injury, Strahm is resting for the coming regional tournament and will not throw one pitch in what could be her final game in McMinnville.
Strahm said she was not emotional through head coach Jackson Vaughan’s pre-game remarks, but once her duty was done, the tears came.
“I got to throw the pitch, and I looked over and just lost it,” Strahm said. “Brittany and I have worked so hard together and having to give the ball up was emotional, but I wouldn’t have given it to anybody else but Brittany.”
Miller pitched a solid game, striking out eight but gave up a double and home-run in the seventh and was pulled because of an ailing arm.
Willamette senior pitcher Nikki Franchi, who hit the home-run off of Miller, out-dueled her counterpart in the pair’s last meeting, only giving up one hit in the 2-0 win.
With both main starters down because of injury, Linfield turned to freshman Lauren Harvey to finish out the series.
After two scoreless innings, she encountered some trouble in the third, giving up three runs. She remained spotless the rest of the way.
The offense came through for its starter. Lepp doubled home two in the Linfield half of the third. In the fifth, sophomore right fielder Natalie Taylor two runs in with a single. The ’Cats won their final home game of the season 5-3. With this past week off, the ’Cats are preparing for the D-III Western Regionals beginning May 9.