The softball team continues on their road to the National Championship with three wins and one loss this weekend against Willamette University.
For the first two games on April 12 the ’Cats faced off on their home field against the Bearcats. The two games were a back-to-back battle against the two teams.
There wasn’t a single run until the second inning when Linfield got three runs. Although the Bearcats got a run in at the fourth inning, they weren’t able to get another one before the end of the game. Linfield finished up the game with a run in the fifth inning.
The second game was much closer with the ’Cats only winning by one point, with a final score of 2-1. Linfield got the first run in the first inning followed by a tied up 0-0 second inning. The bearcats were able to catch up in the third inning with a run making the score 1-1. The ’Cats were left hitless until the fifth inning where they got their last run of the game, finishing this intense game.
The next day Linfield travelled away Willamette University to play two more back-to-back games which the ’Cats won one and lost the other at, 16-2 and 2-10.
The softball team went back to their winning way with getting a run for every hit they made. The ‘Cats made at least one run every inning until the fourth neither team made a single run. Linfield had an explosive third inning with eight runs and five hits. The Bearcats got two runs and three hits the entire game, but where mostly shutout by pitchers senior Karina Paavola and junior Montana McNealy.
In the next game, Willamette turned their performance around by letting the ‘Cats only getting five hits and two runs the entire game. The game started off slow with a beginning lead for Linfield with a run in the first inning, but then the Bearcats had an explosive fourth inning getting five runs. Willamette sealed the fate of the game in the sixth inning with four more runs.
The softball team finished their conference season and now moves towards the road to the NCAA III Finals. The ’Cats will next be playing at the NWC Tournament at home on April 18 and 19.
Stephanie Hofmann/Sports editor
