LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The Pacific Lutheran Softball team was able to make light of inclement weather in North Carolina, an audible by the team allowed them to face off against the University of Mary Washington on the Liberty University campus in a doubleheader on Thursday.
 
Game One
 
Graduate transfer Rachael Rhinehart got the start inside the circle for the Lutes in the opening game on Thursday. Being at a neutral venue, the Lutes were the home team in the opening game. Syan Yamamoto led off the home half of the first with a walk. Yamamoto would score following a bases-loaded RBI groundout to third from senior Holly House.
 
The Eagles answered back with a run of their own in the top of the second inning after Rhinehart walked the leadoff batter. With a stolen base and advance on a ground out, the leadoff hitter scored on a wild pitch. Rhinehart would give up a triple and a walk to the next two batters but got out of the jam with a strike out looking to end the threat.
 
Mary Washington took their first lead of the game in the third, scoring on a two-out double to left center. This lead wouldn't last long as Brooke Tilson and Jaycie Simpliciano hit consecutive bases-loaded singles to give the Lutes a 3-2 lead through three frames.
 
Rhinehart settled in until the fifth inning, where she allowed a leadoff single but an error at second base allowed the Eagles to load the bases with just one out. A fly out and a wild pitch scored two runs for the Eagles, giving them a 4-3 lead. The Eagles tacked on one more run in the sixth following a fielding error once again at second base.
 
Just one hit for the Lutes in the finale three innings proved to not be enough to mount a comeback in game one, falling 5-3.
 
PLU led with seven hits to the Eagles six, but three errors by the Lutes were crucial as Rhinehart went the complete game, earning two runs and three unearned. The graduate pitcher walked six and struck out nine on Thursday. Smithson and Ware had two hits apiece for the Lutes, while Kassidi Dean worked three walks in her four plate appearances.
 
Game Two
 
Freshman Paige Wilson earned the game two start on Thursday for the Lutes, walking her first batter faced in the game. The leadoff walk would come around to score on a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead after the opening frame.
 
Brooke Tilson smacked the first hit for the Lutes in the second inning, with a single to the shortstop. Jaycie Simpliciano led off the third with a double to left centerfield, and would come around to score after Zoe Smithson matched with a double of her own. A pair of strikeouts from the next two batters would end the Lutes rally in the third.
 
With a 1-1 ballgame, the two pitchers would settle in, failing to allow a hit through the bottom of the third inning to the bottom of the fifth. Wilson's no-hitter ended on a single in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Following consecutive innings of leaving runners in scoring position for the Lutes, the Eagles broke the 1-1 tie with a two-out, two-run, home run to left field. Now trailing 3-1 with just three outs to go, Syan Yamamoto and Paola Garcia teamed up for a pair of one-out singles. A Smithson fielder's choice would put runners on the corners, down two runs, and with two-outs. Senior Molly House came through in the clutch with a single into right field, scoring the two game-tying runs; 3-3 going into the home half of the final inning.
 
Wilson would breeze through the seventh inning, but her real trouble came in the bottom of the eighth with a runner beginning the inning on second base. Wilson walked the first batter but the next batter attempted a bunt that popped into the air, which was caught by Casey Wright and threw to second to double-up the lead runner.
 
In the ninth inning, Yamamoto sacrifice bunted Simpliciano over to third base where Garcia would bring her home on a sacrifice fly to take a 4-3 lead. Wilson shut the door with a sacrifice bunt, strikeout, and a groundout to end the game and give the Lutes a win in the second game of the day.
 
Wilson went the distance and some, with nine innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, four walks, and just three earned runs. Smithson and House added two hits each, with House's two runs batted in proving to be the difference.
 
The Lutes will play a doubleheader once again tomorrow against the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Va. beginning at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. eastern time.
 
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