Bulldogs win Super Regional opener with wild 6-5 victory in 10 innings

Regional Tournament Site

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Eighth-ranked Texas Lutheran rallied from two runs down in the seventh, put up four runs in the 10th, and then held on for a 6-5 Super Regional victory over fifth-ranked Linfield (Ore.) Friday at Del Smith Stadium.

TLU improved to 34-7 overall and moved within one victory of advancing to its first-ever NCAA Division III Softball World Series.

Linfield dropped to 38-7-1. The Wildcats need two wins over TLU on Saturday to advance to the World Series.

Saturday's early game is set for a 1 p.m. pacific / 3 p.m. central start in McMinnville. The "if necessary" game would take place at 3:30 p.m. pacific / 5:30 p.m. central.

In game one of the three-game series, Skylar Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) hit her first career home run in the seventh to start the Bulldogs' comeback. 

TLU scored the tying run in the seventh on a Bianca Cerda (Corona, Calif./Santiago) fielder's choice RBI that scored Chassety Raines (Spring/Klein Collins) from third. Raines had followed Ouellette's homer with a double to center field.

In the 10th, Cassie Roche (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland) started the one-out rally with a double to left-center. Kelly Jurden (Brenham/Brenham) then singled and stole second.

Casey Martin (Pearland/Pearland) singled to scored Roche and moved Jurden to third. After Martin stole second, Rebecca Snow (Tomball/Klein Oak) doubled to center field to drive in Martin and Jurden.

Ouellette singled home Snow for the Bulldogs' sixth run.

Linfield threatened in the bottom of the 10th with a Darian Stedman three-run home run. The Wildcats then put the tying run at second and the winning run at first.

Bulldog junior right-hander Kayla Oliveira (San Diego, Texas/San Diego) relieved starter Jordaine Bishop (Leander/Rouse) with a runner on first and no outs. Oliveira recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt, issued a walk of her own, and then retired the final two batters. 

Oliveira recorded an out on a pop-up and then struck out the last Wildcat swinging.

Bishop improved to 4-1 overall with nine innings of work. She struck out three, worked around six walks, and allowed five earned runs.

Oliveira picked up her first save as a Bulldog.

Ouellette had three hits and drove in a pair for TLU. Six different Bulldogs scored runs.