Jessie Moore hit two homers and drove in five runs to give Pacific a 10-2, five-inning victory in the first game before Kaaren Hatlen pitched host Pacific Lutheran to a 2-1 win in the second contest as the two schools split a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader played Wednesday at the PLU field.
As a result of the split, Pacific Lutheran is now 23-13 overall and at 16-8 is in second place in the conference with four home games remaining. The Lutes play NWC champion Linfield at noon on Saturday and Willamette at noon on Sunday. The Pacific Boxers are now 16-16 overall and 12-12 in the NWC.
Game One - Pacific 10, PLU 2 (5 innings)
Moore hit a three-run homer in the third inning and a two-run bomb in the fourth, and Kylee Oshiro added a solo shot in the fourth as the Boxers blasted the Lutes. Marissa Reichard was the winning pitcher, going the five-inning distance and improving her record to 8-4.
Pacific started the game with two runs in the first inning, taking advantage of two hits, including a run-scoring double by Reichard, and a PLU error. Moore's three-run home run made it 5-0 entering the bottom of the third when the Lutes scored their two runs. Montessa Califano reached on a bunt single, Melissa Harrelson was hit by a pitch, and they scored on Amanda Hall's double.
An inning later, the Boxers scored five runs on five hits and the second of PLU's three errors. Reichard had her second RBI hit of the game, and later in the inning Moore hit the left field foul pole for her second homer of the game and fifth of the season. Oshiro, who played for the 2012 national championship PLU team before transferring to Pacific, followed with her first homer of the season, this one just inside the foul pole.
The Boxers collected 12 hits, with the top five players - Becca Moen, Rachel Roberts, Reichard, Moore and Oshiro - all getting two. Moen scored three runs and Roberts, Reichard and Moore scored two each.
The Lutes had six hits, three by Hall and two by Califano. Starting pitcher Leah Butters didn't get out of the third inning and took the loss.
Game Two - PLU 2, Pacific 1
Hatlen went the seven-inning distance in the second game, allowing just one unearned run on five hits while walking one and striking out five. She retired the first eight batters before Maddie Collura hit a single to become Pacific's first base runner.
Meanwhile, Katie Lowery provided PLU's two runs, ripping a two-out double in the second inning. Kelsey Robinson hit a one-out single to left and Lindsey Matsunaga drew a two-out walk to set up Lowery's game-winning hit.
The Boxers' run came in the fourth when Reichard reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, stole third and scored on error on the throw to third. They would have tied the game in the sixth if not for a perfect relay throw to home plate. Roberts reached on a bunt single and with two out Moore ripped a double to left-centerfield. Roberts tried to score on the play but was gunned down when centerfielder Spencer Sherwin threw to shortstop Matsunaga, whose throw to Lowery was on the money.
The Boxers put a runner on second base in the top of the seventh but Hatlen retired the final two batters to give PLU the win.
Roberts had two of Pacific's five hits, while PLU managed four hits against Pacific hurler Sara Aasness.
- PLU -
