McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Taking on the third-ranked team in NCAA Division III, the Puget Sound Loggers played tough, dropping a pair of close games to the Linfield Wildcats, 4-2 and 2-0, in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in McMinnville, Ore.

In the first game, the Wildcats used a pair of home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the early 3-0 lead.  The Loggers got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth when sophomore Caroline Moore (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names) doubled to left center to score freshman Megan Janes (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe).  Aryn Grause (Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley) then singled in Moore to cut the Linfield lead to just one run, 3-2.  Linfield added one more insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as the 'Cats shut down the Loggers the rest of the way to collect the 4-2 victory.

Kendra Strahm improved to 11-0 on the season for Linfield, allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in seven innings pitched.  Auriel Sperberg (Spanaway, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin) took the loss for Puget Sound, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings pitched.

In the second game, the Loggers continued to put the scare into the Wildcats.  Linfield broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when Emily Keagbine hit a solo home run to center field to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.  The 'Cats made it 2-0 in the sixth when Candice Fujino singled down the right field line to score Keagbine as Linfield collected the shutout win.

Brittany Miller earned the win for Linfield, allowing just five hits with five strikeouts and one walk in seven shutout innings.  Sperberg took the loss for the Loggers, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings pitched.

The Loggers will be back in Oregon again next weekend when they travel down for NWC twinbills at Lewis & Clark and George Fox.

Box Scores: Game One/Game Two