SALEM, Ore. - After losing the first game via the eight-run
rule, Pacific Lutheran came back with a venegance in the second
contest on Saturday to earn a Northwest Conference softball
doubleheader split with the host Willamette Bearcats.
The Bearcats used two big offensive innings, in the first and
third, to claim a 9-0 victory in five innings in the first game.
Stacey Hagensen held Willamette to just five hits as the Lutes
earned a 3-0 victory in the second game.
Hagensen got early support as Pacific Lutheran jumped out to a
lead with two runs in the top of the first. Amber Roberts led off
with a single, stole second and eventually scored on an error.
Hagensen, who reached base on the error, eventually scored on
Kaaren Hatlen's RBI ground ball. PLU added one more run in the
sixth on Kaely Cuthill's RBI single. Roberts and Cuthill both had a
pair of PLU's six hits.
Meanwhile, Hagensen allowed only the five hits while walking one
and striking out three to improve her season record to 3-4.
In the first game, Willamette scored four runs on four hits
in the bottom of the first inning and then played add on softball.
In the third inning, Willamette gathered six hits and capitalized
on two Lute errors to score five runs.
Bri Compton threw a gem in the circle for the Bearcats. She
pitched a complete game, allowing just one hit, Hagensen's double
in the first inning. With the win, Compton moved to 9-0 on the
season.
Ramona Lorton picked up the loss for the Lutes and saw her
record fall to 7-2. Lorton pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing
nine hits and nine runs.
Willamette is now 19-6 overall and 11-2 in the NWC. PLU moved to
15-7 overall and 9-3 in the NWC. A regularly scheduled Friday
doubleheader between the teams was rained out and will be
rescheduled for a later date.
- PLU -
