PARKLAND – The PLU softball team swept cross-town rival Puget Sound on Saturday with scores of 8-3 and 11-3. The Lutes won the second game on the run rule in five innings. Seniors Samantha Boelter, Leah Butters and Tori Hamura were honored in a pregame ceremony as Saturday's doubleheader marked the last home games for the Lutes this season.
PLU now owns a 14-12 Northwest Conference record, 21-17 overall. The Loggers are 1-25 in conference play, 4-34 overall. In order for PLU to advance to the NWC Tournament, the Lutes will be looking for two more victories over UPS and two losses by Linfield against Willamette on Sunday.
In the first game, Puget Sound struck first, scoring three runs on three hits and a Lutes error in the second inning. PLU quickly retaliated, scoring three in the home half of the inning to tie the game. With a runner on base, Jessica Wallace homered to score two. Later in the inning with two outs, Emily McConnell tripled to put a runner on for Elli Rassbach who doubled to tie the game.
PLU pulled ahead in the fourth inning on back-to-back RBI-doubles off the bats of Rassbach and Hamura. The Lutes would add two insurance runs in the fourth and fifth with an additional run crossing the plate in the sixth.
Rassbach finished the first game 3-for-3 with two RBI while Boelter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Kailyn Osaki finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Hamura went 2-for-2.
Leah Butters (10-9) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits and one walk. She struck out four. Makayla Bentz tossed one hitless-inning of relief.
In the second game, PLU tagged the Loggers for 10 runs on nine hits and one error in the first inning. The Lutes would later add a solo run in the third on an RBI-single by Hamura.
The Loggers chipped away at their run deficit, adding a run apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Unable to come within eight runs of PLU, the Loggers were defeated 11-3 on the run rule in five innings.
Boelter finished 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI while Hamura went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in. McConnell went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored while Alison Behrends finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Marissa Miller (9-8) tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.
PLU will finish its regular season schedule on Sunday with two more games against Puget Sound. This time the Loggers will host at UPS. First pitch is at noon.
