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Linfield
Sets NCAA Records in 22-10 Victory over UW-Eau Claire SALEM, VA – Linfield set NCAA Division III Softball Championship single-game records for runs and hits in a game as they topped UW- Eau Claire 22-10 Monday afternoon in Salem, Virginia. The win eliminated the Bluegolds and sent the Wildcats to the face Washington University in the first championship game on Monday afternoon. LC pounded out 22 hits and took full advantage of six Bluegold errors. The two teams also combined to break several records including most runs by two teams with 32 (record was 21, most recently on 5/14/06), most hits by a team with 22 (record was 19, most recently by Alma in a 15-inning game by 5/15/04), most hits by two teams with 34 (record was 32 by Chapman and Alma on 5/15/04) and most total bases by two teams with 50 (record was 41 by St. Thomas and Concordia on 5/11/06). The Bluegolds pushed across a singe run in the bottom half after loading the bases with two outs and plating the run when Linfield starter Kendra Strahm walked Rachel Paulus to bring home Casey Leisgang who led the inning off with a single. Linfield then exploded for eight runs in the second with the help of seven hits and four Blugold errors to go up 8-1. The Blugolds cut the deficit to 8-5 with four runs in their half of the second but Linfield countered with seven more in the top of the third for a 15-5 lead. Eau Claire battled back with four more in the fourth to make it a 15-9 contest but a grand slam homer by Jena Loop capped another seven-run inning in the fifth. The victory improves Linfield’s record to 43-7 overall while Eau Claire ends its season at 38-14. |