MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- The three-seeded Pacific Lutheran softball team fought back in the first elimination game on Saturday, defeating the Willamette Bearcats 2-0, but the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark executed a walk-off home run to end the Lutes season.
 
Rachel Treves was given the starting nod in the first elimination game on Saturday, as the Lutes needed to win two-straight to maintain their championship hopes. The sophomore sat down her first three batters faced via the fly-out.
 
Senior Casey Wright led off the game for the home-team Lutes, ripping a single up the middle. Wright and Zoe Smithson's singles in the first three innings would fail to result in runs, but senior Rylie Wada's two-out double in the third would open the door for runs. Paola Garcia came through in the clutch with a single into left field, giving the Lutes a 1-0 lead.
 
Treves was rock solid on the mound, allowing just two hits through four innings. Smithson's second single of the game in the bottom of the fourth was followed by a Brooke Tilson RBI double to left center; extending the Lutes lead to 2-0.
 
Willamette opened the seventh inning with a single, but Treves remained solid, sitting down the next three hitters to give the Lutes a 2-0 victory. Treves went all seven innings, allowing just four hits with two strikeouts; she also did not allow a walk in her outing. Smithson and Garcia led the way with two hits each, while Garcia and Tilson had the lone two runs batted in. With the victory, the Lutes eliminated the Bearcats from the tournament, while advancing to play the Lewis & Clark Pioneers once again in an elimination game.
 
Paige Wilson earned the start in the Lutes second game of the day; Wilson faced the Pioneers in the opening matchup of the tournament when she came in to relieve Rachael Rhinehart.
 
Being the lower seed, the Lutes were the visitors in game two. The Lutes struck early and often in the top of the opening frame, as Wright earned a leadoff walk. Garcia tripled to right centerfield, scoring Wright and Garcia would also score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Emma Ware; Lutes led 2-0 after one.
 
The second inning brought even more runs for the Lutes, as Tilson and Kassidi Dean's singles paved the way for Wright to send a shot over the left field fence and give the Lutes an early 5-0 lead.
 
Wilson was able to strand a runner on third to end the second inning, but she couldn't avoid the damage in the home half of the third. The Pioneers put up three runs on four hits to make it a 5-3 game; knocking the Lutes starter out of the game and bringing in game one starter, Rachel Treves. The fourth inning brought two more runs for the Pios on three singles, tying the game at 5-5 through four.
 
Garcia began a two-out rally for the Lutes in the fifth with a single to left field. Ware's double to center scored Garcia and cut into the deficit. Smithson beat out a hit back to the pitcher to score pinch-runner Syan Yamamoto to put the Lutes back on top, 7-5.
 
The Pioneers opened the home half of the fifth with a solo home run to right centerfield, but Treves settled in and retired the side while limiting the damage to just one. Unable to keep their bats going, the Lutes surrendered the tying run in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly. With the game remaining tied heading into the bottom of the seventh, Lewis & Clark's one-out solo home run ended the game in walk-off fashion, 8-7.
 
Garcia and Dean each recorded two hits in the season finale, as Wright and Ware each had two runs batted in.
 
The Lutes season came to a close on Saturday evening, finishing the season with a 24-19 record, including an 18-10 record in conference play. Maintaining an impressive 11-3 record at home, the Lutes season was highlighted by a 13-game win streak to cap off the regular season and push them into the Northwest Conference Tournament, where they finish the tournament in third.
 
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