SPOKANE, Wash. - Three time defending Northwest Conference champion Linfield spent much of the 2007 season in the unaccustomed position of second place in the NWC standings. Until today. The 2nd-ranked Wildcats emphatically swept 8th-ranked Whitworth 9-0 (5 innings) and 12-5 at Diana Marks Field on Saturday afternoon, leapfrogging the host Pirates into first place in the conference standings.

Davis hit two home runs to set a school single-season record

Meredith Brunette homered twice and drove in seven runs, while Brittany Miller pitched 8.1 shutout innings to earn two wins for the Wildcats (34-4 overall, 25-1 NWC), who improved their current winning streak to 18 games in a row. Whitworth (29-5 overall, 24-2 NWC) saw its 16 game winning streak come to an end, despite a pair of record-setting home runs by Lindsay Davis.

Game 1: Linfield 9, Whitworth 0 (5 inn.) - Box score
The Wildcats erupted for seven runs in the second inning to break the game open early, then cruised behind Miller who tossed a five-inning, four-hit shutout.

Jena Loop led off the second inning with a home run to center field, her seventh of the season. Jessica Popiel added a two run double and Brunette hit her first home run of the day, a two run shot to left field to highlight the outburst for the Wildcats.

Brunette added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to give Linfield an 8-0 lead and Amanda Attleberger scored on Michelle Silbernagel's ground out in the fifth for the final Wildcat run of the game.

Miller (14-2) allowed four hits while striking out three and walking two in her five-inning complete game. Whitworth's Jessie LaPlante (17-1) lost her first decision of the season while allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits in 1.2 innings. Jennifer Eckhoff threw the final 3.1 innings for the Pirates.

Jenny Marshall, Lisa Smith and Popiel each had two hits to lead Linfield at the plate. Morgan Thomsen tripled in the fourth for the Bucs, but could not score. Whitworth left seven runners on base.

Game 2: Linfield 12, Whitworth 5 - Box score
Once again the Pirates fell behind early and they could not catch up despite two home runs from Davis.

Davis gave Whitworth an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, her sixth of the season. But the Wildcats had another big second inning, scoring four times, to take control. Erica Hancock doubled home one run and Silbernagel doubled home two more for Linfield.

Brunette provided all of the offense in the fourth inning, clubbing a grand slam to left center field to give the Wildcats an 8-1 lead. The two home runs today give Brunette four for the season.

But Whitworth got back within 8-5 in the bottom half of the inning when Davis smashed her own grand slam, giving her seven for the year and setting a new Pirate single season record for home runs.

Linfield pulled away with two unearned runs in the fifth, including an RBI single by Smith, and two more runs in the top of the seventh on a double by Marshall.

Miller (15-2) allowed only one hit over the final 3.1 innings in relief to pick up her second victory of the day. She struck out four and walked one. Kendra Strahm started for Linfield and allowed five runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. She struck out four and walked three.

LaPlante (17-2) started again for the Pirates, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings to pick up her second loss of the day. Eckhoff pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk.

Rice, Marshall and Hancock all had three hits for the Wildcats. Davis had three hits and five RBIs for the Pirates.

Up Next: The shoe is now on the other foot. Whitworth trails Linfield by one game in the NWC standings and will have to win twice on Sunday to earn the first NWC title in school history. The Wildcats need only a split to win their fourth straight conference title. Sunday's doubleheader will begin at Noon.

Between games Whitworth will recognize its two seniors on the roster: catcher Lindsay Davis and outfielder Jodi Schock.