Setting the Scene: The Lutes resume their homestand, welcoming Northwest Conference rival and 12th-ranked Linfield University to PLU Field.
Series History: The Lutes hold a slim 77-71 edge in the all-time series since the 1981 season but Linfield has has the upper hand as of late, earning a four-game sweep last spring in McMinnville.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (18-10, 10-6 NWC) picked up a doubleheader sweep last weekend, earning 4-2 and 7-5 victories over Willamette University.
Mari Foster drove in a run and later scored on a wild pitch, giving PLU an early 2-0 lead in the opener. Erin McGrath and Casey Wright both hit sacrifice flies in the third as the Lutes cruised to the 4-2 win. Foster finished the game two-for-three at the plate while Cassidy Conrad tossed a complete game inside the circle, striking out five.
Molly House provided the spark necessary to win in game two, belting the go-ahead three-run home run in the fifth inning. House's homer came on the heels of a Mari Foster solo homer, part of a five-run frame.
Emma Ware earned the win, tossing five innings of relief while at the plate House and Bailey Collado both finished with a pair of hits.
About the Wildcats: 12th-ranked Linfield (23-5, 15-1 NWC) heads to Tacoma fresh off a doubleheader sweep of Lewis & Clark College. The Wildcats were firing on all cylinders in game one, rolling the Pioneers 15-4 before leading wire-to-wire to win game two, 5-4.
Linfield has just one blemish in NWC play, falling 9-3 on the road to George Fox University on March 19. The Cats responded the following day, earning 3-1 and 8-4 wins over the Bruins.
Kamryn Mobley leads the Cats at the plate with a .402 batting average and 28 RBIs. Mobley has 11 extra base hits with 16 strikeouts. Baily Paul is hitting at a .358 clip while Claire Seats has 26 RBIs on the year.
Tayah Kelley is Linfield's ace inside the circle, tossing 104 of the team's 182 innings this season. Kelley has a 15-2 record with 143 strikeouts and a minuscule 0.94 earned run average. Tyler Warden has the next most innings, tossing 42 2/3 on the season with a 5-1 record.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
Next Home Game:
April 16: PLU hosts Puget Sound (DH) at 12 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu