AUSTIN, Texas - It was a marathon day for the Pacific Lutheran University softball team, spending Super Bowl Sunday with a tripleheader spread across two different cities. The Lutes fell 7-6 in extra innings and 8-5 to Southwestern University in Georgetown before trekking to Austin and closing the day with a 5-2 victory over Concordia University.

"Today against Southwestern was a tale of two strong half games," said Head Coach Traci Barrett. "We started off slow in game one and finished strong and in game two we started off strong and finished weak. We're learning what it takes to be present in every pitch of the game, from the first to the last. From the circle to the dugout, every single thing we do matters to our success. Every player on the team is crucial to our success every pitch."
 
The Lutes (3-2) struck first in the opening game of the day with Bailey Plumb leading off the first with an infield single before eventually scoring on a wild pitch. The host Pirates (2-0) answered with two runs in the bottom of the first before plating three in the third and one more in the fourth to stake a 6-1 advantage.
 
Elise Freund singled in Becca Sorensen in the sixth inning before a Kathryn Hatlen three-run home run in the seventh inning closed the game to a single run. Mari Foster tied the game at six, drawing a bases loaded walk to score Anna Overland, sending the game to extra innings. The eighth inning saw Southwestern get two on base via errors before Sydney Scott drew a walkoff walk to give the Pirates the 7-6 win.
 
Plumb finished with two hits and scored two runs while Hatlen tallied two hits and three RBIs. Hatlen was saddled with the decision inside the circle, pitching 3 1/3 innings of relief and allowing no earned runs. 
 
Game two saw the Lutes race out to a 4-0 lead. Samantha Simundson scored on an error in the second inning before Overland belted an RBI triple in the third followed by RBI hits from Chaella Galapon and Simundson.
 
Southwestern got on the board in the bottom of the third before piling on five in the bottom of the fifth. Becca Sorensen drove in Plumb in the sixth to close the gap but the Pirates added two more in the bottom of the frame in what proved to be the final run of the game.
 
PLU cranked out 12 hits in game two with Plumb leading the way going three-for-four.
 
Z Ellis was saddled with the loss inside the circle, pitching 5 1/3 innings before making way to Marley Dyer who retired two of the three batters she faced.

"We had great work by hitters at the plate against Southwestern but unfortunately we didn't get the timely hits we needed to change the games result earlier. Hatlen came in relief in game one and pitched very well and we're excited to be able to get work from her in the circle."
 
The Lutes made an over 30-minute jaunt to Austin, closing the night with a 5-2 win over the Tornados (0-1). Host Concordia struck first with a single run in the first inning but single runs from the Lutes in the second, third, and fourth innings but the visitors on top 3-1. The Tornados whittled the gap to a single run in the fifth before Sorensen and Hatlen drove in runs in the sixth to pad the Lute lead and conclude the scoring for the game.
 
Plumb ended the game with three hits while scoring two runs while Sorensen netted two hits and two RBIs.
 
Ellis collected the complete game victory in the circle, striking out four and allowing no walks and limiting Concordia to just five hits.

"Ellis pitched her first complete seven-inning game and got the win for game three which was big for our team. In 22 innings we left 28 runners on base. Although that number isn't necessarily positive, it shows we're working hard at the plate."
 
The Lutes are back on the diamond tomorrow, facing Concordia again at 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Time).