TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University softball team showed off its offensive juice on Sunday afternoon, going yard eight times, including Paola Garcia blasting two home runs in one inning in a doubleheader sweep of George Fox University. The Lutes pummeled their Northwest Conference rivals 11-5 in the opener before rallying to take the nightcap 11-4 to sweep the four-game series at PLU Field. 
 
The Lutes (12-4, 4-0 NWC) were firing on all cylinders in the doubleheader, collecting 25 hits, 14 extra base hits, and eight round trippers to earn a four-game sweep of the Bruins (2-8, 0-4 NWC) for the first time since the 2011 season. 

"It was a great weekend to start conference play for us. The energy of our dugout is unmatched. No inning is above the energy we create as a team. We're learning to really apply our preparation and adjustment plans day-to-day and be the team we have worked to be," said Head Coach Traci Barrett.

"It was fun to see the bats come alive today and so many clutch and timely hits up and down the lineup. Paola with a home run and grand slam in one inning is one for the record books! Seeing her team so excited for her first college home run was awesome. Erin and Mari continue to show so much maturity for us. Love how Casey and Emma finished the weekend! I was most pleased with our defense today. Jade with her first conference win and Conrad after a slow start finished game 4 strong! Rylie Wada had a great day of softball and took away hits at crucial times! We will get back to work this week and keep showing the game what we're all about."
 
The Lutes piled on eight runs in the second inning of Sunday's opener, getting a solo home run from Paola Garcia before Mari Foster cleared the bases with a three-run home run, plating Kayla Terlecki and Cailey Collado. Garcia wasn't done with the fireworks, smashing a grand slam in her second at bat of the inning, scoring Chaella Galapon, Kennedy Kila, and Erin McGrath to push the PLU advantage to 8-0. 
 
McGrath tied a school record for career home runs in the fifth inning, belting a solo shot to left field before a Garcia double scored Zoe Smithson to make it 10-0. McGrath's 34 career homer matches Shannon Fritzke's career mark that has stood since the 2002 season. 
 
The Bruins got on the board and avoided the mercy rule in fifth with a pair of home runs to close the gap to 10-4. PLU padded its lead in the bottom half of the frame with a McGrath sacrifice fly scoring Rylie Wada. GFU added one more run in the seventh but it wasn't enough as the Lutes cruised to the 11-5 win.
 
Garcia was on fire, finishing three-for-four at the plate with six RBIs and all three of her hits going for extra bases. McGrath and Wada both finished with two hits.
 
Jade Behic tossed four innings to record the win, striking out three before Amaya Smith pitched the final three innings to net the save. 
 
In the nightcap, the visiting Bruins scored three runs in the top of the first but PLU quickly tied the game with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third. Mari Foster got things rolling with a solo home run before Casey Wright belted a solo shot of her own. An Emma Ware double scored Erin McGrath to knot up the score.
 
A Foster single in the fourth scored two to put the Lutes in the driver's seat before Wright hit her second home run of the game, driving in two more for a 7-3 lead.
 
In the sixth, a McGrath single bumped the Lute edge to 8-4 before an Emma Ware home run brought in three more for the final 11-4 scoreline. 
 
Foster was a perfect three-for-three at the dish with three RBIs and two runs scored. Erin McGrath was three-for-four with a pair of runs while Ware drove in four runs.
 
Cassidy Conrad earned the complete game win, striking out five while allowing four earned runs. 
 
Pacific Lutheran makes its first road trip of the NWC slate next week with a four-game set against Willamette University. First pitch on Saturday in Salem, Oregon is slated for 12 p.m.