McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Karina Paavola (Jr., Kelso, Wash.) can add her name to a long list of imposing Linfield softball pitchers after being named Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week. The honor was announced Tuesday by the league’s sports information directors.

Paavola posted her first career shutout in an 8-0 win over Puget Sound that was called after five innings. Even in a shortened game, she still managed to strike out 10 batters while walking just one and giving up three hits. In three appearances last week, she registered a .68 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only one run.

The freshman is 6-1 on the season in 13 total appearances. She has a 1.09 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 32.0 innings of work. She also holds opposing batters to a .234 batting average.

This marks the first weekly honor for Paavola and the second for a Wildcat pitcher this season.

Linfield, ranked No. 1 in the nation, ranks first in the league in team ERA (1.71) and total strikeouts (169). Offensively, the ‘Cats also lead the conference in team batting average (.406).

NEXT: Paavola and the rest of her Wildcat teammates host a makeup doubleheader against Lewis & Clark Thursday evening beginning at 4:30 p.m.