Linfield Pitchers Dominate in Softball Sweep

Wildcats All-American Stephanie Rice slapped five hits while Jenny Marshall had four.

Stephanie Rice Photo courtesy: Linfield Athletics

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Linfield pitchers Kendra Strahm (Jr., Medford, Ore.) and Brittany Miller (Jr., Port Orchard, Wash.) handcuffed George Fox for three hits and no runs to collect matching Northwest Conference shutout victories Wednesday at the Linfield softball field.

The Wildcats downed their Yamhill County neighbors 9-0 and 8-0 during a pair of contests shortened to five innings by the eight-run rule.

Wildcats All-American Stephanie Rice (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) slapped five hits and Jenny Marshall (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.) had four for four-time defending NWC champion Linfield, which improved to 26-2 for the season and 15-1 in conference play. The Bruins saw their record fall to 3-22-1, including 3-15 in the NWC.

GAME 1

Rice went 3 for 4 and Strahm pitched a two-hit shutout in the opening contest that was originally suspended by rain last Saturday.

As play resumed with the Wildcats leading 3-0 with one out in the fifth, Linfield wasted little time in blowing the game open. Erica Hancock (Sr., Boardman, Ore.) singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs, then Alex Hartmann (Fr., Medina, Wash.) drilled a double to the center-field wall that made it 7-0. Jenny Marshall (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.) hammered the final nail in the sixth with a two-run double to center field that rounded out the scoring.

Marshall, Hancock and Hartmann each drove in two runs as the Wildcats outhit the Bruins 12-2.

Strahm picked up her 12th win of the season, striking out five batters without a walk.

Natalie White (2-13) took the loss for GFU.

GAME 2

Miller fanned eight Bruins and held the visitors to one hit and one walk to raise her season record to 11-1.

A two-run double by Amanda Attleberger (Sr., Vancouver, Wash.) got the Wildcats on the scoreboard in the first inning . The hosts added to their lead in the second on Rice’s RBI single that scored Rochelle Friend (Soph., Hood River, Ore.) from third base.

The wheels came off the George Fox wagon in the sixth, with Hancock, Hartmann, Rice, Friend and Candice Fujino (Soph., Kealakekua, Hawaii) each logging RBIs.

White started and pitched the first four innings for the Bruins. She took the loss, allowing seven hits, five earned runs and one walk.

Kristen Griffith was credited with the Bruins’ lone hit.

COMING UP: Linfield hits the road to Tacoma, Wash., for a pair of important NWC doubleheaders this weekend. Saturday, the Wildcats battle Pacific Lutheran at noon, then heads to Puget Sound on Sunday for a noon start.

Source: Linfield Athletics

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