MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – Capitalizing on a 4-0 run during the first 5 1/2 minutes action, Smith College ran away from Linfield 22-5 in a women’s lacrosse match on a cold and windy Sunday at the Linfield lacrosse field.

Linfield began the match with a couple of deft plays. Sophomore forward Chas Tittle (Soph., Mililani, Hawaii) snatched the opening draw control and Wildcats goalkeeper Kaleigh Phillips (Soph., Bend, Ore.) stopped a sure goal moments later on the Pioneers’ first shot attempt.

Smith’s Petru Bester scored the first goal with less than a minute into the contest. Rachel Silveria pocketed two of her match-high seven goals to help the Pioneers quickly take command.

In addition to Silveria’s seven goals and three assists, Smith got six goals from Jenny Estes and four more from Bester.

Tittle scored two goals and assisted on two other tallies to pace the Wildcats. Shelby Duarte (Soph., San Ramon, Calif.) also contributed a pair of scores. Halee Helgerson (Soph., Milwaukie, Ore) netted the fifth and final Wildcat’s goal with 3:32 left in the first half.

Smith held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half after taking a 15-5 lead at the intermission. The Pioneers outshot the ‘Cats by a 39-13 margin and held a 20-13 advantage in ground balls.

Phillips, playing in net in place of injured regular Erika Phillipo (Fr., Eugene, Ore.), made 10 saves, five in each half. Lynette Cole (Sr., Stanwood, Wash.) scooped up a match-high five ground balls for Linfield.

Smith, from Northampton, Mass., earned its first win of the season, improving to 1-3. Linfield was denied its first victory, falling to 0-3.

NEXT: The ‘Cats host Allegheny (Meadville, Pa.) tomorrow, March 18, at 6 p.m. The following day, the Wildcats host North Central (Naperville, Ill.) for a 6 p.m. match.