PARKLAND, Wash. – Moving into sole
possession of first place in the Northwest Conference softball
race, the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes took a doubleheader
from the George Fox University Bruins, 11-3 in the five-inning
first game and 5-1 in the second, Saturday afternoon here at the
PLU softball field.
The twinbill was the makeup of a rainout on Feb. 26. With
the wins, PLU (11-4, NWC 10-1) broke a tie for the top with
seven-time defending champion Linfield College (13-2, NWC 8-1),
which was winning a pair of non-conference tilts at Chapman
University. George Fox fell to 6-12 overall and 1-7 in the
NWC.
In the opener, Stacey Hagensen (7-1) allowed only one earned run
on six hits while going the distance. She struck out five batters
and walked one. Allyssa DenDekker (1-6) went all the way and
suffered the setback for the Bruins.
PLU took a 1-0 lead in the first as Amanda Goings and Kaely
Cuthill had back-to-back singles and steals of second, and Goings
scored on Hagensen's fielder's choice ground ball. The Lutes
added four unearned runs in the third as Glenelle Nitta hit a
two-run triple, and Lindsey Matsunaga followed with her third home
run of the season.
George Fox scored all three of its runs with two outs in the
fourth inning. Kayla Ward drove in a run with a
single, and two more runs came in on a bases-loaded fielding error
in left.
The Lutes came right back with five more runs in the fourth to
make it 10-3. Hagensen had a run-scoring single and later
scored on a wild pitch, Nitta delivered two more runs with a
double, and the fifth run scored on an error. Goings
ended the game on the eight-run rule when she led off the bottom of
the sixth with her second homer of the season, an opposite-field
blast to left.
Bethany Chriss paced the Bruins' offense with a double and a
single. Goings had three hits to lead the Lutes' 11-hit
attack and scored three runs, while Nitta contributed two hits and
four runs batted in. Cuthill and Matsunaga also had a pair of hits
for the Lutes.
In the nightcap, Kaaren Hatlen (3-1) threw her second straight
seven-inning complete game for the Lutes, allowing only six hits
while walking one and striking out five. The only run she
allowed was unearned and came in the third inning on Kris Trindle's
single that scored Kahlee Barrio.
PLU scored two runs in the first when Cuthill hit a double to
drive in Goings, who had led off with a base hit. Cuthill then
scored on a George Fox error.
After the Bruins cut the deficit to 2-1, PLU used four hits to
score three times in the fourth. With Matsunaga and Haley Harshaw
on third and second following hits, Ami Gran hit a single to drive
in a run, and Goings plated another with a base hit. Cuthill's
ground out drove in the third run of the frame.
The Lutes had nine hits against Erin Hento (5-5), who went the
distance for the Bruins with one strikeout and two walks.
Going, Harshaw, and Gran all contributed a pair of hits.
NEXT: George Fox steps outside the conference
to host Northwest Christian University for a pair Wednesday at
12:00 noon ... Pacific Lutheran plays its next 20 games on the
road, starting with a four-game conference series Saturday and
Sunday at Whitworth University.
