PARKLAND - Pacific Lutheran won the first game in five innings, but visiting George Fox built a big early lead in the second game and held on Sunday to earn a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader split at the PLU field.
The Lutes won the opening game 9-1 before the Bruins came back to take a 9-8 decision in the finale of the four-game series. After taking three of four games from George Fox, the defending national champion Lutes are now 11-7 overall and 8-4 in the conference. The Bruins saw their record go to 13-9 overall and 10-6 in the NWC.
Game One - PLU 9, George Fox 1 (five innings)
George Fox got on the board with a run on two hits and one PLU error in the second inning. Felicia Chavez got the RBI with an infield single.
After that, it was all PLU. The Lutes tallied four runs in the second on five hits, including a two-run single by Montessa Califano, a RBI bunt single by Glenelle Nitta, and head up base running by Califano, who took home when Nitta got in a rundown between first and second.
PLU added two more in the third on a home run to center by Kaaren Hatlen and Haley Harshaw's single through the middle of the diamond,and they made it 7-1 with a run in the fourth. An error, a single by Nitta and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by third-spot hitter Amanda Hall accounted for the run.
The Lutes scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game via the run rule. A hit bater, wild pitch, a throwing error and another wild pitch netted the two necessary runs.
The Lutes finished with nine hits, including two apiece by Nitta, Kelsey Robinson and Harshaw. Robinson benefitted in the circle, getting the victory to improve her season record to 4-2. She went the five-inning distance, scattering five hits and striking out three.
George Fox was led on the offensive side by Nicole Renteria with a pair of singles.
Game Two - George Fox 9, PLU 8
It was PLU that scored the game's initial run in the bottom of the first inning. Califano and Nitta had back-to-back singles, and when Nitta was called out at second on a steal attempt, Califano was able to score when the shortstop dropped the ball.
The Bruins broke the game open with four runs in each of the next two innings. They collected four hits, including a RBI double by Naomi Lee, a two-run single by Kayla Anderson, and heads up base running that netted the final run as the PLU infield tried unsuccessfully to gun down two runners advancing an extra base.
George Fox collected seven hits in the the big third inning, including a leadoff home run by Bethany Chriss. Lee had her second straight RBI double, Felicia Chavez drove in a run with a single, and the final run scored on Anderson's base hit to center field.
Now trailing 8-1, the Lutes started to rally. They scored two in the third when Spencer Sherwin singled, stole second, and scored on Califano's base hit. Califano went to second on the throw home, moved up a base on a fly ball to right field, and then scored on Hall's sacrifice fly to right.
Pacific Lutheran pulled to within 8-7 with four runs on four hits and two Bruins errors in the bottom of the fifth. Harshaw led off with a double and came in on Califano's base hit, and the PLU leadoff hitter later scored on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Lauren Watson deliever a run-scoring single to right field, and Dewey Davis plated the final run with a single through the left side of the infield. The Lutes had a chance for more, but a fly out ended the inning with the bases loaded.
Chriss, batting with one out in the top of the sixth, hit her second solo homer of the game and her third of the series, this one clearing the fence in right-centerfield. That run, as it turned out, made the difference in the George Fox victory.
PLU's final rally in the seventh came up one run short. A leadoff walk and a single by Hatlen put pinch runners Kelli Crawford on second and Alison Behrends on first. Katie Lowery smoked a single to left field, but the throw from Renteria to shortstop Anderson and then to catcher Genetta Duncan was in plenty of time to cut down Crawford. Emily Streeter followed with a base hit up the middle to drive in a run, but Erin Hento, on in relief, struck out the final two batters to end the game with the potential tying run on at second base.
There was plenty of offense as the Bruins scored their nine runs on 15 hits, while the Lutes had their eight runs on 12 hits.
Leading the George Fox offense was Anderson, who was 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Chriss, Jenna Kirk, Lee, Kat Hylton and Chavez, all with two hits. Chriss, Lee and Chavez all scored two runs.
Califano was 3-for-4 with three runs scored an two RBI to lead Pacific Lutheran.
Amanda Woods was the winning pitcher, allowing six earned runs in eight hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. Hento got the save, her fifth of the season.
Hatlen took the pitching loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Next up for PLU is a six-games-in-three-days spring break swing through Texas. The Lutes play Mary Hardin-Baylor, East Texas Baptist and Texas-Tyler during the trip.
- PLU -
