Written by Student Assistant Jake Bilyeu

SALEM, Ore. – The Pacific Lutheran University softball team opened its early weekend against Willamette University with a pair of nail-biting setbacks on Friday, stumbling 5-4 in an extra innings affair to open the day before falling 7-5 in the nightcap. The Lutes will play their final games away from the Tacoma area on Saturday as they hope to come out on the winning end against the Bearcats in their second doubleheader of the weekend.

"We battled, but Willamette just scored last unfortunately today," head coach Brandi Gordon Bennett said. "Our team had some clutch hits today but our defensive errors cost us."

The Bearcats (5-18, 5-11 Northwest Conference) opened up the scoring in the first game by taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Lutes (8-20, 3-15 NWC) took their first lead of the game soon after. Delaney Salter doubled to send Kathryn Hatlen home, and a fielder's choice allowed Elise Freund to score on the next at-bat, giving an RBI to Jessica Alcomendas.

The Bearcats evened the game in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lutes extended their lead in the very next inning, as Kennedy Robillard and Kathryn Hatlen provided back-to-back RBIs on a single and a double. The Bearcats again managed to close the gap and tie the game with two runs in the sixth, though, and the game entered extra innings as a result.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bearcats used a sacrifice fly to send a runner to third base. However, the throw to third resulted in an error, which allowed the Bearcats to score and take the first game, 5-4 in eight innings.

The Bearcats scored three runs in the first to open the second game emphatically, but the Lutes managed to cut that lead to just a run after Alexis Okamura singled to score Hatlen and Robillard. A double from Anna Overland gave the Lutes the lead in the fifth, as Becca Sorensen and Gabby Moreno crossed home to bring the score to 4-3.

The Bearcats responded with a two-run fifth as well to regain the lead. The Lutes didn't quit, though, as Kathryn Hatlen solo-homered in the sixth to tie the game. The Bearcats regained the lead in the bottom of the inning with two more runs, though, putting pressure on the Lutes in the seventh. The Lutes nearly delivered by loading the bases with one out, but an out at home and a foul out on the next at bat prevented the Lutes from tying the game, allowing the Bearcats to secure the win, 7-5.

"We need to put all three pieces of our game together to come out on top," Gordon Bennett said. "We've had great games with our pitching, offense, or defense, but never all three at once."

The Lutes will take the field on Saturday at noon for two more doubleheaders against the Bearcats. From there, they'll return home for senior day against George Fox before taking on rival Puget Sound in Tacoma the following weekend.