PARKLAND - Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark split a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the Lutes winning the opener, 9-1, and the visiting Pioneers taking the nightcap, 5-3.

Pacific Lutheran is now 22-12 overall and 15-7 in the conference, while Lewis & Clark sees its record go to 13-19 overall and 6-16 in the NWC.

Game One - PLU 9, Lewis & Clark 1 (5 innings)

Pacific Lutheran scored three runs in each of the first three innings in beating the Pioneers via the eight-run rule.

Montessa Califano was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two steals in the opener, while Melissa Harrelson and Amanda Hall both were 2-for-2 with two runs batted in. Katie Lowery also drove in two runs for the Lutes.

Leah Butters was the winning pitcher, limiting the Pioneers to just the one run on three hits. She walked one batter and struck out two to improve her season record to 5-1. Jill Pinder started the game for the Pios and took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Lewis & Clark's only run came on a homer by Jet'aime Mullins, her third of the season.

Game Two - Lewis & Clark 5, PLU 3

Lewis & Clark shortstop Hannah Del Pra was the hitting hero for her team, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBI.

Del Pra gave the Pios a lead they would not lose when she belted a three-run homer, her eighth of the season, over the fence in left field.

Pacific Lutheran started to chip away at its deficit, scoring two in the bottom of the third inning on two hits and a pair of ground outs.

The visitors played add on in the top of the fifth with Del Pra and Mullins contributing run-scoring singles.

The Lutes replied with a run in the fifth on Lauren Watson's pinch hit RBI double, but she was left stranded on third base. An inning later, they put two on base but a foul out ended that threat. Again in the seventh the Lutes had a chance to tie, if not win, the game, but came up short. An error and walk put runners on base, but the game ended on a soft line out to Pios pitcher Madison Hollenbeck.

For Hollenbeck, it was her second victory of the season against the reigning Division III national champions. In this game she went all seven innings, allowing five hits while walking three and striking out three.

Meanwhile, Lewis & Clark got to PLU pitcher Kaaren Hatlen for eight hits. Hatlen, now 7-6 this season, walked one batter and struck out one.

Califano had two hits to lead the PLU offense.

PLU is back in conference action again tomorrow when it hosts the Pacific Boxers in another doubleheader scheduled for a noon start.

- PLU -