TUCSON, Ariz. - Strong pitching performances by
Taylor Whitmore and Erin Lee carried George Fox
University to an 8-1 win over the Otterbein College Cardinals and a
6-2 victory over the Whittier College Poets on the Bruins'
first day of play in the Tucson Invitational Softball Games
Saturday here at Lincoln Park.
Whitmore (2-6) scattered eight hits with three strikeouts and
one walk in the win over Otterbein. The only run she allowed
came in the top of the 4th on Brittney Kuhn's single which
scored Liz Holthaus, but by then the Bruins were already up 3-0.
George Fox got its first run in the bottom of the 1st off
Otterbein starter Natalie Zwicker (1-2) when Kerrianne Davidson
doubled and scored on an error by Casey Clarridge on Bethany
Chriss's fly to center. The Bruins scored a pair in the
3rd on a two-run double by Shelby Briske that drove home Becka
Doyle and Chriss, who had reached on a fielder's choice and a
single respectively.
The Bruins salted the game away with a five-spot in the
6th. Amy Lepire reached on catcher's interference and
Shelby Klein, playing for the first time in two weeks after missing
four games with a concussion, hit her first home run of the season
to left to get the explosion going. Amy Peterson was hit by a
pitch, stole second, and scored on a throwing error by third
baseman Kristen Roby, and Chriss later added a two-run single to
bring home Nicole Renteria and Davidson.
Davidson, Chriss, and Briske all had two hits for the Bruins,
Davidson scoring twice and the other two driving in a pair
apiece. Clarridge and Holthaus had two hits each for the
Cardinals.
Lee (4-4) tossed a five-hitter with three strikeouts and no
walks in the Whittier game, and the two runs the Poets got in the
4th were unearned. Heather Dady (4-3) took the loss for
Whittier.
Klein singled in Briske for the Bruins' first run in the
2nd, and Renteria and Doyle scored in the 3rd on a bases-loaded
walk to Chriss and a passed ball. Holding a slim 3-2 lead in
the top of the 7th, the Bruins scored three more times when Lee was
hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Klein delivered a two-run
single.
George Fox is now 6-10 on the season, while Otterbein is 1-6 and
Whittier is 12-9. The Bruins play again Sunday, taking on the
University of British Columbia at 1:30 p.m., followed by North
Central College (Ill.) at 3:30 p.m.
The Whittier box score was unavailable at press time.
