PARKLAND - It was Stacey Hagensen's day on Sunday as the
sophomore led Pacific Lutheran to a doubleheader sweep of the
visiting Whitworth Pirates in Northwest Conference softball action.
The Lutes won the opener, 5-1, before taking
a 5-3 decision in the second game.
The victories on Sunday finished off PLU's four-game series
sweep of the Pirates, who were playing their first games of the
season. Pacific Lutheran is now 6-3 overall and 4-0 in the
conference.
Hagensen was the winning pitcher in the 5-1 first game victory,
limiting the Pirates to five hits while striking out
two and walking two. She was also the hitting star,
collecting a single, double and triple, scoring a
run and driving in another. In fact, Hagensen had six hits in the
doubleheader.
In the opener, the Lutes scored twice in the second on a two-run
homer over the left-centerfield fence by Glenelle Nitta, her first
career round tripper. Whitworth got a run back in the fourth when
Heather Hesselgesser hit a double and scored on a single by
Ashley Carey.
PLU tallied three times in the fifth to finish the scoring,
though two of the runs were unearned. Caitlin Brown reached on an
error and scored on Hagensen's double. After a base hit by Aubree
Pocklington, Hagen came in on Lauren Watson's single. Nitta drove
in Pocklington with a two-out infield single to complete the
inning.
Nitta joined Hagensen in the three-hit parade and Watson added a
pair of singles for the winners. No Whitworth player had more than
one hit in the first game.
The Lutes got on the board in the first inning of the nightcap
when Amber Roberts hit a single, stole second and scored on
Hagensen's single. Frosh catcher Katie Hanten added the Lutes'
second run when she hit her first career homer, a drive over the
fence in right-centerfield.
PLU broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the
fifth inning. Hagensen led off with a single, her sixth safety
of the day. A walk to Lauren Watson and a single by Glenelle Nitta
loaded the bases for pinch hitter Kaaren Hatlen, and she hit a
run-scoring single through the middle. Pitcher Jackie Martinez
helped her own cause with a two-run single to finish the inning.
The visiting Pirates made it interesting in the top of the
seventh, scoring three runs and getting the tying run on
second base before the rally ended. Rachelle Wilson led off
with an infield single, and out out later Nina Ratliff collected a
base hit. Sami Parr drew a walk to load the bases and Natalie Evers
followed with a single to drive in Wilson. Lacey Kerr followed with
a two-run double. The rally ended when Carey popped out to
shortstop.
Whitworth had six hits in the game, four of them coming in the
seventh inning. Evers and Ratliff both had a pair of singles to
lead the way.
The Lutes finished with nine hits, including the three from
Hagensen, in support of winning pitcher Jackie Martinez. She
allowed three runs, all earned, on six hits while striking out six
and walking four.
Jessica Dickson took the loss for Whitworth after allowing five
runs, all earned, on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Pacific Lutheran returns to conference action next weekend when
it plays a Saturday doubleheader at George Fox and a Sunday
twinbill at Lewis & Clark.
- PLU -
