PARKLAND – A walk-off double by Emily McConnell in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Lutes the 9-8 win over George Fox in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader. The Bruins responded in the second game with a total of 19 hits to lead them to a 14-3 victory over PLU for the split.
The Lutes are now 12-12 in Northwest Conference play, 19-17 overall. George Fox is 17-7 in conference with a 27-9 overall record.
McConnell finished the day going 5-for-7 with three RBI and two runs scored. Thalen Masada went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and a stolen base.
In the first game, the Lutes took a 5-1 lead into the sixth inning in large part due to the three-run shot by Crysti Snyder in the home half of the fourth. The Bruins had other plans as they loaded the bases with no outs for Ashley Bunce who hit a grand slam to tie the game at five a piece. An RBI-single and another two-run homer by the Bruins would give them the 8-5 lead.
The Lutes wasted no time in the home half of the inning to retaliate. With the bases loaded, Elli Rassbach drew a walk to score one. Tori Hamura followed with a two-run double to even the score 8-8. Both teams were scoreless in the seventh to push extra innings.
Marissa Miller held off the Bruins offense in the top of the eighth, allowing the Lute bats to get to work in the bottom half. Masada drew a walk and McConnell doubled to center to score Masada from first and walk-off with the 9-8 victory.
Miller (8-8) recorded the win, allowing only one run on six hits and three walks in six innings of work.
George Fox came in hot in the second game, scoring two runs on three hits to lead things off. McConnell's two-run homer in the home half of the first would tie the game at two each.
The Bruins went on to score four runs in the third to take a 6-2 lead. They continued to add insurance runs with one each in the fourth and fifth before a six-run, six hit top of the seventh including two home runs and a double would put them on top 14-2. The Lutes scored once in the bottom half of the inning on a Kailyn Osaki single, but ultimately took the loss.
Miller surrendered six runs on seven hits and two walks in three innings. Makayla Bentz pitched three innings of relief, giving up four runs. Kat Enyeart pitched an inning and allowed four runs on four hits and a walk.
The Lutes will play their final regular season home games of 2015 next Saturday, April 18. PLU hosts cross-town rival Puget Sound in a doubleheader set for noon. A pregame ceremony will honor the three graduating seniors: Samantha Boelter, Leah Butters and Tori Hamura.
