NEWBERG, Ore. – Bethany Chriss singled in two runs in the bottom of the seventh to give George Fox University a 5-4 first-game win over Northwest Christian University, but the visiting Beacons used two big innings to build leads and hung on for a rain-shortened 7-6 second-game win in non-conference softball Wednesday afternoon here at Morse Field.

In the opener, George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the third as Kris Trindle singled and scored all the way from first on a single to center by Chriss that was dropped for an error, allowing her an extra base.  The Beacons answered with two in the fourth as Laynee Bevans doubled to score Brooke Davis, who had reached on a bunt single, and Becca Lillegard singled in Bevans.

The Bruins regained the lead in the home half of the fourth on a home run by Kahlee Barrio down the left-field line, her first of the year, after a Hilary Broadus  single.  The Beacons tied it in the fifth as Lissa Hatefi, Gabby Stover, and Megan Mazanec singled, the first two bunts, to load the bases, and Davis hit a sacrifice fly to center.

The visitors went ahead in the top of the seventh on looping singles down the right-field line by Dani Gehrke and Davis and a single up the middle by Cassie Bishop, but the Bruins rallied in the home half against NCU reliever Jenna Royce (1-3).  Barrio walked with one out and Nicole Renteria got an infield hit to second.  Trindle grounded out to second, moving the runners up, and Chriss came through on a 3-2 count with a liner off the left-field fence that just eluded left fielder Hatefi.

Erin Hento (6-5), in relief of Allyssa DenDekker, got the win for the Bruins. 

Chris was the only Bruin with two hits.  Davis went 3-3 to lead the Beacons' 13-hit attack, and Mazanec and Bevans had two hits apiece.

In the nightcap, Trindle singled, stole second, went to third on a hit by Chriss, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Beacons bounced back with three in the second.  Chelsea Hannon doubled to lead off and scored on Ally Mittleider's triple down the right-field line.  Hatefi's grounder scored the go-ahead run, and Stover doubled and scored on a Bevans single to cap the rally.

George Fox tied it in third when Kayla Ward walked and Hento lined her first homer of the season over the fence in center, but the Beacons put up four runs in the fourth following a 34-minute rain delay.  Starting pitcher Kalyssa Koontz drew a lead-off walk, and pinch-runner Gehrke scored as Stover's liner toward to right became a triple when Felicia Chavez started in for the ball but slipped on the wet outfield grass and fell.  Bevans bunted for a hit and Mazanec doubled in two, then scored on Hannon's single to center.

The Bruins cut the deficit to one in the last of the sixth when Renteria singled, Trindle reached on a throwing error at short, and Chriss slugged her second home run of the season to left.  However, before the seventh could get started, a second rainfall descended and the field became too muddy to continue.

Koontz went only three innings and thus was ineligible for the win, allowing Lillegard (1-4) to pick up her first victory of the season.  Hento (6-6) took the setback in relief of DenDekker again.

Renteria, Chris, and Hento had two hits apiece for the Bruins, who collected eight hits in all.  Stover was 4-4 for the Beacons, who banged out 12 hits, with Bevans, Mazanec, and Hannon getting two safeties each.

NEXT: George Fox (7-13) goes to Linfield College Saturday for a 12:00 noon Northwest Conference twinbill.  The games were originally the Bruins' home games, but they swapped home-and-home dates with the Wildcats when Linfield's diamond was too wet on March 5 ... Northwest Christian (7-11) hosts Concordia University-Portland in a Cascades Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday at 2:00 p.m.