Through May 16, 2011, half of Linfield’s softball victories this season (23 of 45) were “mercy” victories; i.e., games that by rule were terminated after 5 or 6 innings because Linfield was ahead by at least 8 runs.
Only four of those games were played at Linfield; 15 were Northwest Conference games, including one in the NWC Tournament. All four of Linfield’s NCAA regional tournament games were “mercy” wins.
On six days, Linfield invoked the mercy rule in both games of a doubleheader.
Linfield has won 34 games in a row, and 6 of the last 8 have been “mercy” victories
These were the “mercy” victories so far this season:
Games listed below played at Linfield unless designated with @ for opponent field or * for neutral field.
Feb. 26 Whitworth
12-2 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Baxter hit 4x4 with 3 RBI
Feb. 26 Whitworth
10-1 in 6 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Lepp had her only error of the season and hit her first of 29 home runs
Feb. 27 + Whitworth
16-0 in 5 innings
March 5 @ George Fox
12-0 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Velaski pitched a no-hitter and struck out 10; Lepp hit 3-run home run
March 5 @ George Fox
11-0 in 5 innings2nd game of doubleheader
Doucette hit 3-run double; Lepp and Keagbine each hit their 4th home run
March 6 + Lewis & Clark
12-4 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Keagbine hit solo HR and 3-run double, both in the 2nd inning, and had 5 RBIs total
March 6 + Lewis & Clark
20-1 in 5 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Keagbine and Baxter each hit two home runs; Baxter hit 2-run HR and 3-run HR both in the second inning, when Linfield scored 11 runs on 13 hits. Hubrich and Keagbine each hit 5x5 and Linfield got 27 hits total. Keagbine had 4 RBIs, giving her 9 RBIs for the day, and scored 4 runs.
March 19 @ Chapman (Calif.)
10-2 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Hubrich hit 3-run, inside-the-park HR
March 19 @ Chapman (Calif.)
15-2 in 5 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Doucette hit 3-run HR
March 22 @ Cal Lutheran
15-1 in 5 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Baxter hit 2B, HR and had 4 RBI; Prestianni hit 3-run HR
March 23 @ Whittier (Calif.)
12-0 in 6 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Lepp hit 4x4 with 2-run HR and grand slam for 6 RBIs; Velaski (5 innings) and Karscig (1 inn.) pitched 1-hitter
March 26 + George Fox
8-0 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Hubrich 3 hits, triple, 3 RBIs
March 26 + George Fox
12-0 in 5 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Hartmann and Keagbine both hit 3-run HRs; Doucette hit a 3-run double; Keagbine had 5 RBIs altogether.
April 3 Puget Sound
8-0 in 5 innings in 3rd game of tripleheader
Lepp hit 2-run double and 2-run HR; Freshman Paavola pitched shutout.
April 7 @ Lewis & Clark
12-4 in 5 innings in 1st game of doubleheader
Prestianni 3-run HR; Lepp hit 4x4,
3-run double, HR and 5 RBIs.
April 7 @ Lewis & Clark
18-4 in 5 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Doucette hit 3-run HR and grand slam in first two innings for 7 RBI
April 12 @ Puget Sound
11-1 in 5 innings
Keagbine hit 2 HRs, team hit 6
April 17 Pacific
8-0 in 6 innings in 2nd game of doubleheader
Karscig pitched shutout
April 22 Pacific Lutheran
11-2 in 5 innings at NWC tournament
Lepp hit grand slam, her 27th HR; Doucette hit 18th and Keagbine 16th
May 12 + Anderson (Ind.)
10-0 in 6 innings at NCAA regional @ Pella, Iowa*
Velaski pitched one-hitter; Lepp and Doucette hit 3-run home runs
May 14 + Washington (Saint Louis)
17-0 in 5 innings at NCAA regional @ Pella, Iowa*
Velaski pitched no-hitter; Baxter hit bases-loaded triple and Prestianni hit grand slam, both in first inning
May 15 + Coe (Iowa)
10-0 in 5 innings at NCAA regional @ Pella, Iowa*
Doucette hit 3-run HR in first inning, her 20th; Velaski extended scoreless string to 20 innings in regional games
May 16 @ Central (Iowa)
12-0 in 5 innings at NCAA regional @ Pella, Iowa
Keagbine hit her 17th HR, doubled and she and Hartmann each drove in 3 runs; Velaski pitched her fourth shutout in five days, a 2-hitter
The “mercy” rule also was invoked in one of the Wildcats’ two losses
March 12 @ Pacific Lutheran2-10 in 6 innings
Velaski gave up 10 runs (4 earned) in 5.1 innings; PLU ended game with 6 runs in bottom of the 6th inning, 5 of them on two home runs
More info:
--After 3 games in the NCAA regional softball tournament, Linfield outscored opponents 37-0 and all three games were terminated by mercy rule.
--Linfield has only batted in 14 innings! (did not need to bat in bottom of 5th Saturday or Sunday as the Wildcats were the home team)
.............
Linfield vs. Central (Iowa) at Kuyper Athletic Complex, Central College, Pella, Iowa
Monday, May 16, 2011
Play-by-play from NCAA regional tourney in Pella, Iowa, Linfield vs. Central of Iowa
Background:
Linfield improved to 45-2, tying school record for victories in a season set by the 2007 national championship team
--Central eliminated Coe 7-3 in 8 a.m. game May 16, 2011
--Linfield entered game vs. Central with 44-2 record (ranked first by coaches); Central was 39-8 (ranked 8th)
=LINFIELD 1st
Hubrich singles to left center
Baxter sacrificed to pitcher, Hubrich to second
Lepp walked
Hubrich to third and Lepp to second on wild pitch
Doucette walked; Herren pinch ran for her, bases loaded
Prestianni hits sacrifice fly to CF, Hubrich scored ‘Cats 1-0
Keagbine doubled, Lepp scored; Herren advanced to third ‘Cats 2-0
Hartmann tripled down right-field line, Keagbine and Herren scored ‘Cats 4-0
Watson walked, Karscig pinch-ran for her; runners on first and third
Mixsell grounded out to 2b
Linfield: 4 runs, 3 hits, 2 left on, 0 Central errors
‘Cats 4, Central 0
=CENTRAL 1st
Strike out swinging on 2-2 count
Single through right side on 0-2 count
Force out, pitcher to 2b
Strike out swinging on 2-2 count
Central 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 left, 0 Linfield errors
=LINFIELD 2nd
Hubrich hits first pitch for single to center
Central changes pitchers
Baxter forces out Hubrich at second base, ss to 2b
Lepp flies to left on 1-0 count (2 out)
Doucette flies to right on 1-2 count
Linfield 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 left, 0 Central errors
=CENTRAL 2nd
Ground out to ss on 3-1 count
Strike out called
Error on SS Keagbine, Linfield’s first error in the tournament
Pinch hitter pops out to 1b
Central: 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 left on, 1 Linfield error
=LINFIELD 3rd
Prestianni flies out to CF on 3-1 count
Keagbine fouls off three straight pitches, then homers to left center ‘Cats 5-0
Hartman singles to left on 0-1 count
Watson singles to left on 2-2 count after 3 straight foul balls, Hartman advances
Mixsell hit by pitch, loading the bases
Hubrich singles to short stop. Hartman scores ‘Cats 6-0
Baxter rallies from 0-2 to hit three foul balls and walks on 3-2 count, forcing in Garcia, bases still loaded
‘Cats 7-0
Lepp singles to left field, Mixsell scores, bases still loaded ‘Cats 8-0
Doucette lines out to second, Lepp double off first
Linfield: 4 runs, 5 hits, 2 left on base, 0 Central errors
‘Cats 8, Central 0
=CENTRAL 3rd
Strike out swinging on 1-2 count after 3 straight foul balls
Pop up to 2b on first pitch
Ground out to pitcher on 2-2 count
Central 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 left on, 0 Linfield errors, 11 pitches
=LINFIELD 4th
Prestianni flies out to left on 1-1 count
Keagbine singles up middle on first pitch
Hartmann hits first pitch, reaches on fielder’s choice, runners on first and second
Garcia reaches by error on 2b; Keagbine scores ‘Cats 9-0
Mixsell singles to LF to drive in Hartmann ‘Cats 10-0
Central changes pitchers
Hubrich grounds out to 2b on 1-1 count, runners advance to 2nd and 3rd
Baxter flies out to RF on 2-2 count
Linfield 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 left on, 0 Central errors,
‘Cats 10, Central 0
=CENTRAL 4th
Swinging strike out on 3 pitches
Single to center on 1-0 count; pinch runner (what’s the point down 10-0?)
Double play, short stop to 1b on 2-0 count
Central: 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 left on base, 0 Linfield errors
=LINFIELD 5th
Lepp doubles to left on 0-1 count
Doucette singles through left side on 1-0 count; Lepp to third
Prestianni walks on 3-2 count, bases loaded
Keagbine fouls out to RF, sacrifice fly; Lepp scores, Doucette to third
‘Cats 11-0
Hartmann flies out to LF on 1-2 count, sacrifice fly, Doucette scores
‘Cats 12-0
Garcia walks, runners on first and second
Mixsell walks on 3-2 pitch after numerous foul balls, bases loaded
Hubrich strikes out swinging
Linfield: 2 runs, 2 hits, 3 left on base, 0 Central errors
Cats 12, Central 0
=CENTRAL 5th
Pinch hitter strikes out swinging
Fly out to right field
Ground out to second base
Central: 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 left on base, 0 Linfield errors
Final score: LINFIELD 12, CENTRAL OF IOWA 0
Claire Velaski pitched her fourth NCAA regional tournament shutout in five days; runs her string of scoreless innings to 25 and improved her season record to 23-1 while lowering her earned run average to 1.70. She walks no one, strikes out six, allows two singles and faces 17 batters, two over the minimum.
Keagbine hits her 17th home run and her 13th double. Keagbine and Hartmann each drive in 3 runs.
Central’s Kiley Lythberg, who pitched six innings and 96 pitches in the earlier game today, lasted one inning and one batter against Linfield, allowing four hits and four earned runs. She faced 10 batters and walked three of them. She took the loss, falling to 20-7
In the regional, Linfield outscored four opponents 49-0, with all four games terminated early because of the “mercy” rule.
The Wildcats batted .505, out-hitting their opponents 50 to 6.
The team earned run average was, of course, 0.00 with Velaski pitching all but one of 21 innings. Freshman Karina Paavola pitched the last inning on Sunday.
Linfield has won eight straight regional games, going 4-0 last season also.
Linfield will fly directly from Iowa to Salem, Virginia, and will play the State University of New York-Cortland, on Friday, May 20, in the first round of the NCAA Division III national championship tournament. The 8-team, double-elimination tournament runs through Tuesday, May 24
It will be Linfield’s fourth trip to the finals in six years, since 2006. The Wildcats won the championship in 2007 and placed second last year to East Texas Baptist.
Salem is familiar to Linfield athletics. In 2004, the Linfield football team won the NCAA DIII national title. s As he is today, Linfield head softball coach Jackson Vaughn was defensive coordinator on the football team.
