The top-ranked Linfield Wildcats defeated the Whitworth Pirates softball team in Saturday’s conference-opening doubleheader for both teams.

The Pirates fell 12-2 (5 innings) in the opening game of the series. An eight-run first inning from Linfield was too much for the Pirates to counter. Hanna Boyd’s second inning RBI single scored Jamie Brunner to get Whitworth’s on the scoreboard. Natalie Evers scored on Sami Parr’s hit in the fifth inning for the second run.

Linfield continued in the to swing the bats in the second game, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after three innings en route to 10-1 (6 innings) victory. Caty Lieseke had the lone RBI for the Pirates, driving in Kelsey Ayers in the sixth inning.

Sunday’s games were moved to Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington due to storm warnings on the campus of Linfield. The Wildcat’s started where they had left off the day before, defeating Whitworth 11-4 and 16-0 (5 innings) in the first and second games respectively.

Next up for the Pirates is a doubleheader against Corban College in Pasco, Washington on March 1. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1 pm.