TACOMA, Wash. - Erin McGrath went deep in both games as the red-hot Pacific Lutheran University softball team extended its win streak to seven on Friday afternoon, collecting a pair of wins over Northwest Conference rival University of Puget Sound. The Lutes rallied to the 6-2 victory in the opener before vanquishing the host Loggers 8-5 in game two.

The host Loggers (4-29, 4-21 NWC) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run. PLU (26-12, 18-8 NWC) chipped away at the deficit in the fourth with a Sarah Potwin single up the middle scoring Kayla Terlecki. A Casey Wright sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Erin McGrath tied the game at 2-2 before the Lutes exploded for four runs in the seventh to cement the win.

McGrath got things rolling with her 12th home run of the spring, scoring Mari Foster. A groundout from Potwin allowed Casey Wright to score later in the inning before a Chaella Galapon single scored Emma Ware, giving the Lutes the 6-2 lead.

Ware finished three-for-four at the plate with one run scored while McGrath had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored in game one.

Cassidy Conrad went the distance inside the circle, allowing just three hits and striking out seven to improve to 9-1 on the season.

McGrath got the Lutes rolling early in game two, blasting a solo home run, her 13th round tripper of the season. Shanelle Lum doubled the Lute advantage in the second, driving in Galapon to give the visiting Lutes a 2-0 lead.

PLU's lead mushroomed to 4-0 in the third with an Emma Ware infield single scoring Wright before a Kennadi Wuebel base hit scored Terlecki. The Lutes plated two more in the fourth, getting RBIs off the bats of Ware and Kassidi Dean.
McGrath made it 7-0 in the sixth, belting a double to center field to score Wright.

UPS got on the board in the sixth, scoring four runs but the Lutes pushed across another run in the seventh on a Cailey Collado single as the Lutes held on for the 8-5 win to secure the doubleheader sweep.

PLU pumped out 12 hits in the nightcap with Wright leading the way with a three-for-four effort at the plate.

Ware earned the win inside the circle, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs.

"I'm so proud of the resilience of this team! Todays ebbs and flows are something we didn't face last weekend so it was good to be in a dog fight in game one and come through with a lead off hit from Cailey and Erin came up big with the two run blast. We didn't settle for that "exhale" and situational hitting gave us 2 more runs to countdown the bottom of the 7th. Cassidy  pitched well and her defense was excellent. We always talk about the fact that the game knows the energy you give it so if you let down it knows. We felt that in game 2. Run support grew behind Emma throughout the game to a 7-0 lead but when our opponent fought back with a pretty hairy situation we stayed composed and did what we needed to secure a win. Emma threw well today and also helped herself with great plate appearances. Erin came through with a great second game at the plate as well."

The Lutes and Loggers close out the regular season tomorrow at PLU Field with another doubleheader.