EASTERN OREGON 3-4, GEORGE FOX 2-5: Hollen Gets 1st Win as Bruins Split with Mountaineers

Box Score Game 1

Box Score Game 2

NEWBERG, Ore. – After dropping the first game of the Jessica Hollen era to Eastern Oregon University 3-2 in 9 innings, the George Fox University Bruins gave their new coach her first victory with a 5-4 darkness-shorted win over the Mountaineers in the second game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Friday afternoon here at Morse Field.

In the opener, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the 5th as Becka Doyle walked, advanced to third on a single by Erin Lee, and scored on a wild pitch by EOU starter Kayli Johnston.  The Mountaineers tied it in the 6th on a towering home run down the right-field line by Megan Platz, and took the lead in the 7th as Ashleigh Hughes walked, stole second, and scored on Kassi Reisbeck’s ground single to right.

The Bruins sent the game into extra innings with a rally in the home half of the 7th.  Amy Peterson and Lee walked, and Shelby Briske lined a one-out single to center to score Peterson.  When Ashleigh Byrne in center mishandled the ball, Briske and Lee went to second and third, but reliever Susie Espinoza, who had come on to start the 6th, got Chelsea Bradely on a fly to center and Kerstyn Tsuruda on a grounder to short.

The Mountaineers plated the winning run in the 9th.  Krista Kountz singled to lead off and Espinoza drew a walk.  After a strikeout and a forceout at second, Reisbeck beat out a slow roller to third as Kountz scored.

Bradely (0-1) went the distance for the Bruins, scattering five hits and walking five while fanning 11.  Espinoza (1-0) got the win with three innings of one-hit relief, while Johnston, who went the first six, came in for the last of the 9th and picked up the save with a 1-2-3 frame.

I
n the nightcap, the Bruins had to rally twice to pull out the victory.  EOU took a 1-0 lead in the 1st as Byrne singled to third, went all the way to third on a sacrifice by Iris Woodhead, and scored on a grounder to short by Platz.  The Bruins answered with two in the home half as Doyle reached on a throwing error and  Briske fanned but was safe at first on a passed ball, and both scored on a double to left-center by Bradely.

The Mountaineers regained the lead with three in the 2nd with two hits and two costly Bruin errors.  Reisbeck scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice bunt by Woodhead, Platz singled in Byrne with the go-ahead run, and Woodhead later scored on a throwing error.

The Bruins got one back in the 2nd as Audrey Dove and Peterson worked a double steal with Dove scoring.  Bradely (1-1), who again went the whole game for the Bruins, shut down the Mountaineers over the next four innings on two hits, giving her offense a chance to come back.

In the bottom of the 4th, Kristen Griffith led off with a walk and Katie Hughes got a one-out single of pitcher Samantha Pedro’s glove.  Both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Doyle delivered a ringing two-run double to left-center to drive in the winning runs.  The game was called after six complete innings due to darkness.

Bradely again spaced five hits, fanning six and walking four as the Mountaineers stranded 12 runners.  Pedro (0-1) went four innings, allowing five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

George Fox (1-1) visits Corban College Thursday for a pair at 1:00 p.m.  Eastern Oregon (1-1) takes on Simon Fraser University Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and the University of Puget Sound and 3:00 p.m. in the Northwest Cup Tournament in Portland, Ore.