TACOMA, Wash. - Clutch hitting by
Mari Foster,
Erin McGrath, and
Casey Wright helped the Pacific Lutheran University softball team sweep Whitworth University on Friday in the Northwest Conference openers for both teams at PLU Field. Foster delivered a walkoff single to give the Lutes a wild 10-9 come-from-behind victory to close the day, while McGrath homered in both parts of the doubleheader to lead PLU to a 12-8 win in the opener.
In the nightcap, PLU (10-4 overall, 2-0 NWC) trailed 9-7 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
Sarah Potwin led off with a solo blast to right field to pull the Lutes within one. After two walks sandwiched around a strikeout,
Chaella Galapon hit a long drive to left center field where Whitworth outfielder Delayna Waite made a spectacular diving grab. She threw the ball back in and
Cailey Collado was ruled as having left second base early and the game was over.
But the home plate umpire overruled his comrade after a lengthy discussion, putting runners at the corners with two outs.
Collado scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and then Foster delivered her walkoff hit with a looping line drive to right field to score
Brooke Tilson from second base.
Emma Ware earned the victory in relief, allowing an unearned run on one hit with no walks and a strikeout in 2 2/3 innings pitched.
Foster finished the second game 3-for-5 with a run and the RBI, while Potwin was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. McGrath was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and Wright was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs as the Lutes erased an 8-3 deficit in the fifth inning.
In the opener, the Lutes trailed 6-3 in the fourth inning before the offense kicked into high gear on a cold, sunny day.
Galapon doubled to right center to score a run and McGrath then blasted a two-run homer to left center to make it 6-6. Wright then made it back-to-back jacks with a home run to dead center for a 7-6 lead.
After Whitworth tied the game in the top of the fifth, Potwin hit a pinch-hit home run to center field, McGrath drove in a run on a fielder's choice, Wright singled in a run and
Nanea Kalama singled in another.
Raynna Mekaru hit a solo homer in the sixth to complete the scoring for the Lutes.
McGrath was 2-for-5 with four RBIs, Wright was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Kalama was 3-for-3, Galapon was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Mekaru was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Marley Dyer earned the win in relief, allowing two runs - one earned - on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings pitched.
The two teams face off in another doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday.
