FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Hitting the road for the first time in Northwest Conference play this season, the George Fox University Bruins saw their losing streak reach seven games while the Pacific University Boxers extended their winning steak to five with an 8-5, 5-1 softball doubleheader sweep Sunday afternoon here at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.

George Fox, which opened the season with three straight wins, saw its record dip to 3-7 overall and to 0-4 in the conference.  Pacific improved to 6-4 overall and 4-0 in league play.

The Bruins began the seesaw first game by scoring two in the 1st on a double by Bethany Chriss and a wild pitch.  The Boxers came right back to score three in the home half of the inning, Brooke Fogwell scoring on a error, followed by an RBI double by Ashley Billingsley and a run-scoring single by Jordan Mittelsdorf.

The teams traded runs in the 2nd before George Fox pulled ahead with single runs in the 3rd and 4th innings.  Amy Lepire tied it in the 3rd when she scored on Chriss' single.  Becka Doyle then led off the 4th with a home run, her second of the season, into the left field screen to give the Bruins a 5-4 advantage.

The Boxers battled back to score four times in their final two at-bats to secure the win.  Carrie Maerz singled in the 6th sixth to score K'rene Delplanche with the tying run, and Chelsey Chamberlain slugged a game-winning home run, her fourth of the year, in the 6th, a three-run shot to left-center field.

Miranda McNealy (4-1) earned her fourth win of the season in relief, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out three in three innings of work.  Taylor Whitmore (1-4) took the loss for the Bruins, allowing eight runs, five earned, on nine hits and six walks while striking out three. 

Maerz led Pacific offensively by going 2 for 3 with one run batted in. Nicole Renteria went 3 for 5 to lead George Fox, and Chris had two hits as the Bruins out-hit the Boxers 10-9.

Pacific took a 2-0 lead in the second game as Stephanie Vanoudenhaegen scored in both the 1st and 3rd innings in the same way, singling to open each inning and later scoring on ground outs.  The Bruins halved the lead in the 4th when Erin Lee walked and scored on a wild pitch.

The Boxers got a bit of breathing room when Chamberlain delivered her second home run of the day and fifth of the season in , a two-run homer to left, to give the Boxers a 4-1 advantage.  Billingsley added her first homer of the season in the 6th, smashing a solo shot over the center field wall.

McNealy (5-1) went the distance to earn her third win of the weekend, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.  Erin Lee (2-3) took the loss for George Fox, allowing five runs on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout.  Vanoudenhaegen, Billingsley, and Brooke Toy each had two hits for Pacific.

George Fox hosts Pacific Lutheran University Saturday in a conference doubleheader starting at 12:00 noon.  Pacific will take a week off from NWC competition as they play six games next weekend at the SunWest Tournament in Orange, Calif., opening up on Saturday with games against Hastings and Suffolk.