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March 15, 2008 Lutes Earn Split With No. 1-Ranked Linfield
McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Unranked Pacific Lutheran surprised No. 1 Linfield, pulling out a 2-1 victory in the second game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader at the Linfield diamond. The defending conference and national champion Wildcats twice had to battle back in the opener to win that contest, 5-4. Off to its hottest start in program history, Linfield suffered its first setback of 2008, falling to 11-1 overall and 9-1 in the NWC. PLU kept pace in the NWC standings, moving to 8-2 in the conference and 10-6 overall. A game-winning RBI single down the first base line by Amanda Attleberger proved to be the difference in the see-saw opener. The Lutes drew first blood, getting a one-out RBI single from Caitlin Brown in the top of the second inning. Linfield pulled even in the third when Meredith Brunette sent a line drive to center field that scored Stephanie Rice from second base. A pair of PLU fielding miscues led to another run, as Attleberger reached on an error by shortstop Stephanie Mullen, then Brunette scored when Mullen’s throw to first was bobbled. In the PLU fifth, Heather Walling’s RBI double deep to the center-field wall knotted the score, and Rachel Wheeler-Hoyt singled with the next at-bat to score Walling, and the Lutes led 3-2. Linfield didn’t panic as Rice doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning and then scooted to third on a passed ball. Jenny Marshall delivered a game-tying RBI to left field. After a wild pitch put runners at second and third, the table was set for Attleberger, who sent a perfectly placed line drive down the first base line. With two outs in the PLU sixth, Mullen launched a solo home run beyond the fence in left field, drawing the Lutes to 5-4. Kendra Strahm improved her record to 7-0 despite surrendering 10 hits to the Lutes, including three by Walling and two more by Wheeler-Hoyt. Losing pitcher Hadley Schmitt struck out four and walked one while giving up nine hits and four earned runs. In the second game, Schmitt and Wheeler-Hoyt combined to hold the Wildcats to three hits, helping PLU snap a six-game series losing skid. Taking advantage of a hit batter and a passed ball, the Lutes broke a scoreless deadlock in the fifth inning. Vanessa Bryant singled to left field and moved over after Wildcats pitcher Brittany Miller hit Mullen with a pitch. A single by Brown pushed Bryant to third, where she scored on an errant pitch. In the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats put a runner in scoring position with two outs, but a long fly ball sent to right field was snagged by Missy Waldron. The Lutes threatened to break the game open in the sixth, loading the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly to center field by Carly Starke scored Walling from third, but Miller struck out Mullen to hold the Wildcats within two runs. In the Linfield sixth, pinch hitter Kayla Hubrich singled and advanced to second on a ground out by Rice. Marshall pulled the ‘Cats to within one when the senior All-American reached base on an error, allowing Hubrich to score. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Wildcats freshman Alex Hartmann doubled off the center-field fence with one out. Schmitt, who entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of Wheeler-Hoyt, then struck out the final two batters to complete the upset. Wheeler-Hoyt, who improved her record to 5-2, was sharp in her four innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out one. Schmitt pitched the final three innings and picked up her third save of the season. Marshall saw her 17-game hitting streak ended, going 0-for-3. Miller allowed four hits while striking out five and walking three. (Courtesy of Linfield Sports Information Office.)
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