by Will Carsh

Last weekend, the Whitworth softball team split four games against Linfield College. The first day yielded mixed results for the Bucs as they lost their first game 4-0 and win the second one 8-3. The second day brought similar results, with a 3-4 loss followed by a 4-1 win.

Linfield’s pitcher threw well during the first game, gaining 12 strikeouts and allowing very few hits for the Bucs.

“We may end up seeing that pitcher again in the conference tournament, so now we know how to hit her pitches and how to make the adjustment at the plate,” sophomore catcher Kayla Batastini said.

The second game resulted in a Whitworth win with sophomore UT Shannon Wessel landing a three-run homer at the top of the first inning, giving Whitworth an early lead. This was shortly followed by Batastini driving in sophomore infielder Tessa Matthews in the same inning. Batastini landed an RBI double in the fourth inning, as did freshman outfielder Chelsey Hayes. The sixth inning yielded two more runs; Wessel drove in junior outfielder Alyssa Hall, and senior outfielder Peyton McMahon drove in Wessel.

The third game resulted in another Whitworth loss, albeit a close one. Peyton McMahon landed a hit that led to Hayes coming in home in the first inning and Matthews brought home Megan John and Hayes with a hit of her own in the fifth. However, the Linfield women came back in the bottom of the fifth with four runs of their own, leading to their victory.

Whitworth came back from the loss with another win, however.

“It can really kill the mood for a team after a loss, but we came back stronger in the second games and got two wins out of it,” Wessell said.

Despite the split in wins and losses, the team remains optimistic toward future games and the conference tournament.

“Everyone was always cheering, and no matter what, our defense always stayed in the game and never gave up,” Hayes said.

The Whitworth softball team plays at home again this weekend against Lewis & Clark on the April 18-19.