TACOMA, Wash. – Karleigh Prestianni (Sr., Grants Pass, Ore.) clobbered three home runs, part of a six home run outburst by the seventh-ranked Linfield Wildcats, who pummeled the Puget Sound Loggers 12-2 and 10-2 at Logger Field. Both contests were cut short after six innings when the eight-run rule was invoked.

Prestianni, the Wildcats three-time All-America third baseman, went 5 for 7, drew one walk, stole a base, scored five times and amassed 15 total bases.

Linfield achieved its 10th straight 30-win season with the doubleheader sweep, moving to 31-5. The Wildcats had already clinched the program’s 10th consecutive Northwest Conference crown heading into Sunday’s contests and were merely padding their conference record, now at 23-3. Puget Sound dipped to 2-35, 2-24 in the NWC.

GAME 1
Prestianni’s home runs in the first and sixth innings, along with a solo homer by McKenna Spieth (Soph., Vancouver, Wash.) to lead off the second, was all the offense the ‘Cats needed to put down the Loggers.

Prestianni also doubled in the game to finish 3 for 5. Megan Wallo (Sr., Aloha, Ore.), Erin Carson (Soph., Camas, Wash.), Haylie Watson (Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) and Katy Brosig (Jr., Forest Grove, Ore.) all had a pair of hits as Linfield pounded 15 hits on UPS pitcher Megan Campbell (1-27).

Wildcats pitching ace Karina Paavola (Jr., Kelso, Wash.) struck out five Loggers and held the hosts to three hits over the game’s first five innings. Maddy Dunn (Fr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) closed out UPS in the sixth.

Taylor Jones had two of the Loggers’ three hits in the game.

GAME 2
Campbell took more abuse from Linfield hitters in the nightcap, surrendering another 11 hits, five of them for extra bases.

Prestianni, Lisa Yamamoto (Soph., Carson City, Nev.) and Ashley Garcia (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) each sent pitches over the outfield fence as the Wildcats grabbed a 6-0 lead after three innings.

The Loggers didn’t help their cause with seven errors, but did manage five hits on Linfield pitchers Montana McNealy (Soph., Aloha, Ore.) and Shelby VandeBergh (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.). The pitching duo combined for five strikeouts while yielding one walk.

McNealy, making her first start of the season, earned the win to improve to 2-1. She scattered five hits and didn’t allow an earned run or a walk through five innings. VandeBergh struck out two of the four batters she faced in the sixth.

Garcia went 3 for 4, scoring twice and drove in five runs while Prestianni was 2 for 3.

‘CAT SCRATCH: Spieth’s home run was the first roundtripper of her collegiate career. . . Middelstadt’s 29 stolen bases this spring moves her into a tie for fourth with graduated All-American Emilee Lepp on Linfield’s single-season list. . .Linfield extended its series win streak over UPS to 27 games. . . the Loggers’ last win over the Wildcats came in 2006.

NEXT: Linfield remained in Tacoma Sunday night and expects to resume its suspended NWC doubleheader at Pacific Lutheran on Monday. The teams were forced to halt action Saturday afternoon with the Wildcats leading the Lutes 8-3 in Game 1. Action starts at 1:30 p.m.