SOFTBALL DROPS PAIR TO #4 'CATS
TACOMA, Wash. - With the defending national champions in town, the Puget Sound Loggers knew the fourth-ranked Linfield Wildcats were good and the 'Cats collected the Northwest Conference softball doubleheader, 8-0 and 8-3, on Sunday afternoon at Logger Softball Field in Tacoma, Wash.
In the first game, Linfield (30-2, 19-1 NWC) took the lead on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first and never looked back, scoring eight runs on eight hits to take the 8-0 victory. Junior Brittany Miller became the first Linfield pitcher to record 400 career strikeouts after striking out 11 UPS batters to collect the victory. Andi Doerflinger (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau-Douglas) took the loss, allowing eight runs, five earned, on eight hits in seven innings pitched.
In the second game, the Logger defense stepped it up and the Logger offense had some fun. The Wildcats continued their strong offensive output from the first game by scoring five runs in the top of the first but the Loggers played well after that. Puget Sound got on the board in the bottom of the second when Meghan Watson (Brier, Wash./Mountlake Terrace) scored on a failed pickoff attempt that sailed down the left field line.
In the fourth, Noelle Vallecorsa (Federal Way, Wash.) showed her speed by scoring following a fielders choice and a throwing error that ended up out of play that put Hilary Rice (St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy) on third base. Lindsay Fujita (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) then doubled to left center to score Rice and bring the Loggers within two runs, 5-3. Linfield added a single run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to pull back ahead by five runs, 8-3, as they swept the doubleheader.
Kendra Strahm collected the win for Linfield while Samantha Van Noy collected the save. Freshman Auriel Sperberg (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau-Douglas) took the loss, allowing eight runs on nine hits in five innings pitched.
The Loggers will take the field again on Monday, playing host to Willamette in a make-up of a March 15 doubleheader. Because the games were originally scheduled in Salem, Ore., the Bearcats will be the home team in both games.
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