Boxers Lose Pair Of One-Run Heartbreakers To Wildcats

Boxers Lose Pair Of One-Run Heartbreakers To Wildcats

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Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – In a hard-fought battle against the perennial Northwest Conference power, Pacific dropped a pair of one-run heartbreakers to Linfield Wednesday night in a softball doubleheader at Del Smith Stadium.
 
In the opener, the No. 11 ranked Wildcats handed Allie Sims (Fr., Puyallup, Wash.) her first loss of the season with singles runs in the first and second that propelled the Wildcats to a 3-2 victory.  In the nightcap, Linfield rallied from two runs down to force extra innings and scored the winning run in the eighth inning to take the 5-4 win.
 
Rachel Roberts (So., Oregon City, Ore.) led Pacific offensively with three hits in the second game.
 
With the losses, Pacific dropped to 11-4, 6-3 NWC.  Linfield improved to 12-0, 12-0 NWC.
 
GAME 1: LINFIELD 3, PACIFIC 2
The single runs scored by the Wildcats in the first and second innings proved to be the difference in the game.  Grace Middlestadt led off the bottom of the first with a single to shortstop and scored when Haylie Watson was hit by a pitch by with the bases loaded.
 
Middlestadt batted in the Wildcats' second run in the bottom of the second, singling to center field to score Danielle Duman.  Duman led off the inning with a double to right center field.
 
Pacific rallied to tie the game with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  Quirena Natividad (So., Waipahu, Hawaii) it a solo home run in the fourth, her fourth home run of the season.  Natividad then walked with one out in the sixth, stole second and scored on Emmie Moser's (So., Mt. Vernon, Wash.) single.
 
Linfield scored the winning run with two outs in the home half of the eighth inning.  Katie Brosig doubled and then scored on a double by Ashley Garcia.
 
Sims took her first loss of the season in a valiant effort, dropping to 7-1 on the year.  She allowed three runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.  Karina Paavola improved to 6-0 on the season, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
 
Middlestadt and Brosig each had two hits to lead Linfield.  Natividad and Moser had the Boxers' two hits.
 
GAME 2: LINFIELD 5, PACIFIC 4
Pacific made their bid for the lead early, scoring two runs in the first.  Roberts reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the first, stole second and scored thanks to an error.  Natividad added the second run on Kylee Oshiro's (Jr., Aiea, Hawaii) ground out.
 
The Boxers made it a 3-0 lead in the top of the third when Nalani Antonio's (So, Kapolei, Hawaii) single to right field scored Megan Winans (So., Hood River, Ore.).  Linfield then took all three runs back in the home half of the third.  McKenna Spieth scored on a single by Garcia while Middlestadt and Brosig plated on a pair of bases loaded fielder's choices.
 
Pacific retook the lead in the fourth when Winans' single scored Natividad.  Linfield tied it again in the fifth on Erin Kinney's home run.
 
Linfield earned the win in the eighth when Erin Carson tripled to right center field with two outs.  She then scored on a passed ball.
 
Sara Aasness (Sr., Kirkland, Wash.) dropped to 4-2 on the season with the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits with two walks and a strikeout.  Paavola earned her seventh win in relief, allowing two hits in 3.1 innings, striking out six.
 
Roberts went 3 for 5 to lead the Boxers at the plate while Becca Moen (Sr., Gresham, Ore.), Winans and Ashley Mitchell (So., Redmond,Wash.) had two hits apiece.  Six different players had Linfield's hits.
 
The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Pacific's Lincoln Park Stadium.  First pitch is scheduled for noon.
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