McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Home runs, not to mention raindrops, fell from the grey March sky Saturday as the ninth-ranked Linfield Wildcats hammered Lewis & Clark on both ends of a Northwest Conference doubleheader at Del Smith Stadium. Linfield prevailed by scores of 11-1 and 15-0, both compressed to five innings by the eight-run rule.

The Wildcats (11-4, 8-2) clobbered six home runs on the afternoon, outhitting the Pioneers 25-3. Linfield, the nine-time NWC champion, moved back into first place in the NWC, percentage points ahead of early season leader George Fox.

Lewis & Clark's once promising season started with wins in 10 of its first 14 games. But the Pioneers (10-12, 5-9 NWC) saw their current losing streak grow to eight games following Saturday's lopsided sweep.

GAME 1
Linfield sluggers Karleigh Prestianni (Sr., Grants Pass, Ore.) and Ashley Garcia (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) each blasted home runs as the Wildcats won the opener with relative ease.

Prestianni drove in four runs, including a three-run homer in the second inning that put Linfield comfortably in control. Garcia went 2 for 2 with a couple of RBI and the 'Cats rolled up 11 hits on L&C pitchers Natalie Rose and Hallie Knife.

A six-run fourth inning, punctuated by a leadoff triple from Grace Middelstadt (Soph., Battle Ground, Wash.) and a RBI double from Haylie Watson (Jr., Puyallup, Wash.), put the finishing touches on the rout.

Wildcats starter Karina Paavola (Jr., Kelso, Wash.) held Lewis & Clark hitless through four innings before the the Pioneers finally awoke in the bottom of the fifth. Singles by Robinson, Knife and Milan spoiled the Wildcats' shutout bid. Paavola, who improved to 6-1 for the season, struck out Kelsey Buck with the bases loaded to end the game.

GAME 2
Watson and Lisa Yamamoto (Soph., Carson City, Nev.) both equaled a Linfield single-game record with two home runs - all in the first three innings - and the Wildcats showed the Pioneers no mercy in the nightcap.

Shelby VandeBergh (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) pitched a no-hit gem, coming within one hit batter of recording a perfect game.

Seven Linfield runs in the first inning, including Yamamoto's first career grand slam, were followed by four more in the second stanza. Yamamoto smacked her second homer of the game in the third, boosting the Linfield lead to 12-0.

Linfield pounded 14 hits and capitalized on a pair of L&C errors.

Yamamoto racked up six RBI in the game, going 3 for 3 with three runs scored. Watson, Garcia and Katy Brosig (Jr., Forest Grove, Ore.) all enjoyed two hits in the game.

VandeBergh fanned five Pioneers across five innings, pitching her first collegiate no-hitter.

'CAT SCRATCH: Saturday's sweep stretched Linfield's series win streak over Lewis & Clark to 45 games. . . the Pioneers' last triumph over the Cats was April 20, 2002, an 8-0 shutout in Portland . . . Linfield is 70-6 all-time against L&C . . . Watson joined a select list of 11 current and former Wildcats to have hit two home runs in a single game. . . Yamamoto's six RBI came within one of the single-game record acccomplished previously by seven players.

NEXT: Linfield visits Pacific on Sunday for a NWC doubleheader starting at noon.