SALEM, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran wrapped up its 2010 softball
season on Monday afternoon by splitting a Northwest Conference
doubleheader with the Willamette Bearcats. The hosts won the
opener, 4-0, before the Lutes took the nightcap, 6-5.
Pacific Lutheran finished the season 23-15 overall and 17-11 in
the NWC, while the Bearcats improved their record to 28-12 overall
and 20-8 in the NWC. As the second-place finisher in the Northwest
Conference, Willamette hopes to receive an at-large bid to NCAA
Division III postseason play.
In the first game, Willamette pitcher Alex Watilo threw a
two-hitter to lead the Bearcats to the shutout win. She allowed a
double to Haley Harshaw leading off the third inning and a single
to Caitlin Brown leading off the fourth. Harshaw reached third on a
sacrifice and Brown stole second, but both runners were left in
scoring position. In improving her record to 10-4, Watilo walked
two and struck out one.
In the second game, Pacific Lutheran built a 6-3 lead entering
the bottom of the seventh and then had to hang on as Willamette
scored two runs and left the bases loaded despite going hitless in
the inning.
Willamette scored a run in the bottom of the first, but the
Lutes scored four times with two outs in the second. Ramona Lorton
and Brown had run-scoring singles and Amber Roberts also drove in a
run with a double.
Leading 4-3 in the sixth, the Lutes added a run on a RBI
groundout by Roberts, and they scored one more in the seventh when
Kaaren Hatlen, Montessa Califano and Kaely Cuthill strung together
three singles.
That set up the wild seventh inning. The Bearcats benefitted
from three walks, two hit batters and a sacrifice fly to score one
and still have the bases loaded with two outs. After walking a
batter and hitting another, Jackie Martinez recorded a strikeout to
end the threat and pick up her second save of the season.
Ramona Lorton was PLU's winning pitcher, allowing five runs on
six hits while walking six and fanning two in 6 2/3 innings. She
finishes her first collegiate season with an 11-6 record and the
most wins on the PLU pitching staff.
PLU collected 11 hits including two each by Stacey Hagensen and
Lauren Watson.
- PLU -
