COLUMBUS, Ga.. --- Pacific Lutheran University softball began the 2025 season down south in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Leadoff Classic, splitting the first two games, including a win over the No.18 ranked Pfeiffer Falcons, 14-2.
 
GAME ONE
 
Graduate senior Rachael Rhinehart was named the Lutes opening day starter, as she sat down the first three batters thanks to a 5-4-3 double play after allowing a one-out walk. PLU responded in the home half of the inning, as sophomore Syan Yamamoto took a leadoff walk, coming around to score on an error from the Falcons second baseman. The Lutes led the No.18 Falcons 1-0 after one.
 
Rhinehart was able to escape the second inning after another one-out baserunner, forcing a pop-up and ground out to keep the Falcons from tying the game. PLU's bats travelled warm to Georgia, as Brooklyn Gutierrez opened the inning with a single, while Brooke Tilson reached on an error, thus leading to a Yamamoto triple, putting the Lutes up 3-0 with one out. Zoe Smithson notched her first hit of the season, a single to center field, making it a 4-0 ballgame. Ashleighn McAuley added her first home run of the season, clearing the bases and making it three-straight hits for the Lutes to explode out to a 7-0 lead.
 
The Lutes held the Falcons to just one hit through the first 3.1-innings, but a Pfeiffer home run scored two thanks to a walk, making it a 7-2 Lute lead after four.
 
Another slew of runs for the Lutes came just two innings later, as they loaded the bases with just one hit, one walk, and an error, and earning a free run as Tilson worked a two-out walk. Jaycie Simpliciano earned an RBI after wearing a pitch, scoring another run for the Lutes with the bases juiced. A Yamamoto walk added another on top, before Smithson roped a two-out grand slam to make it a 14-2 ball game. The Lutes scored 10 runs in a matter of two innings, all of which coming with one or two outs.
 
Trailing by such a large margin, the Falcons needed to put runs on the board to avoid the mercy rule, but Rhinehart struck one out and added a pair of ground outs to cut the contest short, with the Lutes knocking off the No.18-ranked Pfeiffer Falcons in dominating fashion; 14-2.
 
Smithson led the way in game one, as her 2-3 day resulted in five runs batted in. Yamamoto and McAuley also added three runs batted in each, as those three drove in 11 of the Lutes 14 total runs to open the tournament on Friday morning; thanks to the triple and pair of home runs. The Lutes made the extra-base hits count, while taking advantage of Pfeiffer errors, as they scored 14 runs on just seven hits, while stranding 16.
 
GAME TWO
 
With both teams entering the game off of a win in game one, St. John Fisher got on the board first in the top half of the opening inning, as a leadoff single followed by a pair of walks scored one on a sacrifice fly, giving SJFU a 1-0 lead early.
 
PLU responded immediately in the home half of the inning, as three walks opened the door for Kimara Blakely to single, scoring two. Brooklyn Gutierrez then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in McAuley and give the Lutes a 3-1 lead after one.
 
The Cardinals cut into the lead in the top half of the third inning, when a pair of singles led to a sacrifice fly, now trailing by just one. But the Lutes gained that run back on their turn in the third, when Smithson led off with a double, later scoring after a pair of groundouts. They added one more an inning later, when Smithson drove in Tilson with a two-out single up the middle, making it a 5-2 game through four innings.
 
St. John Fisher ripped a one-out double followed by a deep home run to left field, cutting the deficit to just one in the top half of the fifth inning. This ended the outing for sophomore pitcher Paige Wilson, as Rachel Treves came in relief. The Cardinals added on and took their first lead of the game in the sixth, as Treves walked a pair of batters, before allowing a single and a double to score two and put the Lutes behind, 6-5.
 
Tilson knotted the game in the home half of the sixth, with a one-out home run to left-centerfield, making it a 6-6 ballgame that would head into extra-innings as each team went three-up, three-down in the seventh. The Cardinals took advantage of the "California Rule", starting with a runner on second, that scored after a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to right field. Trailing by one and down to their final three outs, the Lutes were unable to find a gap, going 1-2-3 to fall short, earning their first loss of the season, 7-6.
 
Three Lutes had two hits each in game two, as Tilson, Blakely, and Smithson led the way, each of which notching at least one RBI. The Lutes struck out just four times while stranding six on-base. Wilson went five innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking three, and striking out three.
 
Rhinehart went all five innings of the shortened contest, allowing just a pair of hits, wlaking three and striking out five. The graduate senior allowed two runs as the Lutes cruised to a dominant victory to open the season.
 
The Lutes continue the second day of games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic tomorrow afternoon, as they face LeTourneau at 3 p.m. (ET) and Piedmont at 5:30 p.m. (ET) in Georgia.
 
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