TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University softball team will travel down to Oregon this weekend as they open up Northwest Conference play against Willamette University in a four-game series.

The Lutes currently sit at 2-4 on the year after their early season trip to California. The Lutes also played two exhibition games against Central Washington University last weekend at home where they dropped the first game and were trailing by one when the second game was called due to darkness. 

Offensively this year the Lutes have been led by sophomore Mari Foster. Foster who hails from Honolulu, Hawaii is hitting nearly .600 on the season. Her 11 hits through six games leads all Lutes and Foster has also racked up four stolen bases as well. During the exhibition games last weekend, Foster launched a two-run home run over the fence that gave the Lutes an early lead before falling in the first game.

Defensively, Kennedy Robillard and Z Ellis have led the Lutes inside the circle. Robillard, a junior from Puyallup, Washington has posted a 3.44 earned run average in her three games that she has started. Robillard posted her best outing of the season against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges where she struck out three during her time on the mound.
The Lutes will look to build off of their early season schedule to start out conference play on a fast note.

The doubleheader on Saturday will begin with the first game at noon and the doubleheader on Sunday will start with first pitch at 11 a.m. 

Feb. 29: PLU vs Willamette (DH) in Salem, Oregon (12 p.m.)
Mar. 1: PLU vs. Willamette (DH) in Salem, Oregon (11 a.m.)

Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have met since the 1981 season with the Lutes owning a 95-31 advantage in the all-time rivalry. The Lutes have won the last six matchups with the Bearcats including a four-game sweep last year. The meetings last season were very high scoring with each team scoring 10+ runs in three of the four games.

About the Bearcats: Willamette (1-4) are on a three-game losing streak coming into the weekend and have their only win over Northwest Christian University by a score of 7-1 on February 16th. Brianna Majors is leading the team hitting .412 on the season but the Bearcats have only been able to score four runs in their opening five games. Ashley Medina has led the way from the mound for the Bearcats posting 18 strikeouts in her three games pitched so far.