McMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Bushnell softball team played their best game of the season, but were unable to crack the win column on Wednesday, falling twice to NCAA Division III No. 6 ranked Linfield College, 3-1 and 18-2.
 
Senior Miranda Jensen (pictured), in just the second start of her collegiate career, went the distance in the opener, allowing just three runs on six hits while striking out four.
 
The Beacons got on board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Jensen scored on an RBI single by Jordan Kuykendall.
 
The Wildcats tied things up with an RBI double in the bottom of the third and took the lead on a solo home run from Emma Podliska in the fourth. Linfield added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Game two is one the Beacons would like to forget, as they were roughed up a bit in the bottom of the first inning. Bushnell went through three pitchers in the inning as Linfield batted around twice.
 
Leslie Reynaga came in to settle things down, allowing just two earned runs over the final three innings before the run-rule was utilized in the fifth. Linfield finished with 18 runs on six hits, while the Beacons scored two runs on four hits and had four errors.
 
Kerry Murphy went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Bushnell and had a RBI when her single brought home Suzi Krstic in the top of the fifth. It was Sam Silver who put the Beacons on the board in the top of the first inning when she singled to score Krystal Akagi.
 
Bushnell (0-6) will be back on the field on Saturday, traveling to Portland to take on Lewis & Clark College at 12:00 pm. On Sunday, the Beacons will play their first home games of the year, hosting Willamette University, beginning at 1:00 pm.