McMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Pacific softball team picked up a road doubleheader split with the Linfield Wildcats at Del Smith Stadium, clinching an advantage in the season series for Pacific for the first time since 1998.
 
Rachel Roberts (Jr., Oregon City, Ore.) and Jessica Hotaling (Jr., Oregon City, Ore.) both finished the day with three runs batted in, while Marissa Reichard (Jr., Forest Grove, Ore.) struck out six Wildcats as she appeared in both games.

Pacific topped Linfield 4-3 in game one, earning Pacific its first win over Linfield in McMinnville since the 2008 season, before dropping a 16-8 decision in the second game.
 
The Boxers last took the season series from Linfield in 1998, when Pacific finished the regular season 4-1 against Linfield. Pacific swept the Wildcats at home in 1998, after splitting a doubleheader in McMinnville and winning a non-conference game in Richland, Wash.
 
Pacific returns to Sherman/Larkins Stadium on Sunday for a noon first pitch in a conference doubleheader against the visiting Willamette Bearcats.
 
Game One: Pacific 4, Linfield 3
A two-run double in the top of the seventh by Ashley Mitchell (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) proved the game-winner as Pacific topped Linfield 4-3 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
After two scoreless innings, Reichard doubled with one out before advancing to third on a groundout. Hotaling drove Reichard in with a single to center before a groundout wrapped up the frame for Pacific.
 
The Wildcats answered back with a homer in the bottom of the fourth, before plating a run in both the fifth and sixth to take a 3-1 lead into the seventh.
 
Margaret Bachmeier (So., Newberg, Ore.) led off the seventh with a pinch hit single and then advanced to second on a single to left center by Reichard. Ari Bali (Fr., Aiea, Hawaii) replaced Bachmeier as a pinch runner. Roberts loaded the bases with a single before Hotaling drove in Bali on a single to right.
 
Mitchell continued Pacific's final inning push with a double to right center that plated Reichard and Roberts to give Pacific a 4-3 lead entering the final half inning.
 
Reichard continued a strong performance in the circle during the bottom of the seventh as she forced the leadoff batter to ground out, before striking out the final two outs of the game.
 
Roberts, Hotaling and Reichard finished game one with multi-hit performances, while Hotaling and Mitchell drove in two runs each. Reichard struck out five Wildcats in her opening game performance.
 
Game Two: Linfield 16, Pacific 8 (5 innings)
Roberts led Pacific with three runs batted in during the second game of the afternoon, which saw the Wildcats top Pacific 16-8 in five innings.
 
Pacific opened the scoring when Roberts walked and advanced to second on a ground out. With two outs, Roberts stole third and scored on a single to center by Kylee Oshiro (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii).
 
After Linfield answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, Bachmeier led off the top of the second with as single to left. A throwing error allowed Bachmeier to reach third and Kaitlyn Shikada (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) to reach first safely. The inning continued when Jordan Schmerbauch (So., Mililani, Hawaii) singled to left to plate Bachmeier.
 
A wild pitch saw Shikada and Bachmeier advance a base, before an error plated Shikada and Schmerbauch. The error, which scored a pair of Pacific runs, allowed Roberts to reach first safely, but a pop out and ground out wrapped up the offensive frame for the Boxers.
 
Linfield responded with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.
 
The Wildcats' lead did not last long before Kylee Yamamoto () singled with one out in the top of the third inning. Bachmeier doubled to left center, followed by a single to right by Shikada, which scored Yamamoto. Another Wildcats error allowed Shikada to advance to second and for Bachmeier to score Pacific's second run of the inning.
 
Reichard singled and moved Shikada to third, while Schmerbauch continued the Boxers' inning with a single that loaded the bases. A bases loaded walk for Roberts scored Shikada, while a single from Hotaling plated Reichard and gave Pacific an 8-5 lead.
 
After the Boxers were held off the board in the top of the fourth, Linfield opened the game up with an 11-run fourth before shutting down the Boxers in the fifth.
 
Roberts finished with three runs batted in, while four Boxers drove in one run each. Four Boxers left delivered mutli-hit performances at the plate in the loss.