PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing
their final two home games at Lewis & Clark College's
Huston Sport Complex because of a water-logged Morse Field in
Newberg, the George Fox University Bruins split with the Pioneers,
winning 3-2 before falling 14-11, in Northwest Conference softball
action here Saturday afternoon.
The first game was a pitchers' duel between Erin
Hento (8-13) of George Fox and Natalie Rose (5-15) of
Lewis & Clark. Hento scattered seven hits in 7.0 innings,
allowing no earned runs while striking out two and walking
one. Rose surrendered only four hits and one earned run,
fanning one and passing two.
The Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd when Kayla Ward hit her
second home run of the season with two out after Hento had reached
on an error in left. They got what would prove to be the
winning run in the 3rd as Nicole Renteria bunted for a hit, stole
second, and scored on a double to center by Bethany Chriss.
The Pios picked up their two runs in the 6th. The first
run came as Caroline DeVincenzi scored on a bases-loading throwing
error trying to get a force at the plate, and Caitlin Relyea scored
on a wild throw trying to double off a runner after a line out to
second.
DeVincenzi had three hits for the Pioneers and Molly Donahue had
two, while no Bruin had more than one.
The second game featured several big innings, George Fox scoring
first with four in the bottom of the 1st. Singles by Kris
Trindle, Kerrianne Davidson, and Chriss got the first run
home. Shelby Briske singled in a run, Ward's ground out
to second scored another, and Briske scored on a double steal with
Becka Doyle.
The Pioneers responded with six runs in the 2nd. After
Sarah Breninger drove in a run with a bunt single and Jamie Moon
singled in a run, DeVincenzi slugged her seventh home run of the
season, a grand slam, to put the Pios ahead.
Back came the Bruins with three in the 3rd to regain the
lead. Chriss, Briske, and Ward hit consecutive singles,
Chriss scoring on a wild throw from center on Ward's
hit. Hilary Broadus later singled to drive in Ward and Doyle
for a 7-6 George Fox lead. Chriss hit her fourth home run in
the 4th, a solo shot that made it 8-6.
The Pios put together six hits along with three costly Bruin
errors for seven runs in the top of the 5th, however, and never
trailed again. Relyea and Jet'aime Mullins had RBI
singles to start the frame, and after three runs scored on ground
outs or errors, Caitlin Basilio and DeVincenzi capped the rally
with run-scoring singles. Megan Andre added an RBI single in
the 6th.
George Fox cut the deficit to three with three in the last of
the 6th. Ward singled in one run, and two scored on an error
at short. The Bruins loaded the bases in the last of the 7th
on hits by Trindle and Davidson and a walk to Briske, but Ward
grounded out to end the game.
The Bruins banged out a season-high 19 hits in the game, led by
Chriss, who went 4-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs.
Trindle, Briske, and Ward had three hits apiece, and Davidson had
two. DeVincenzi was 5-5 with two runs scored and five RBIs,
finishing the twinbill with an 8-9 day. Moon, Mullins, and
Donahue chipped in with two hits each for the Pioneers, who had 16
hits in all.
Allyssa DenDekker (2-13) started and took the loss for the
Bruins. Rose (6-15) got the win in relief of starter Paige
McFeeley for the Pios, working the final 4.2 innings.
NEXT: George Fox (10-28, NWC 4-22) and Lewis
& Clark (8-29, NWC 2-24) will close out the season with two
more at the Huston Sports Complex Sunday at 12:00 noon, this time
with the Pioneers as the home team.
