THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - An eight-run rally in the 5th inning enabled the California Lutheran University Regals to come back for a 9-7 win over the George Fox University Bruins for a non-conference softball doubleheader split after the Bruins had pounded out 14 hits in a 10-5 first-game victory Sunday afternoon here at Hutton Field.

Game 1 - George Fox 10, at California Lutheran 5

Bethany Chriss led a 14-hit attack and Felicia Chavez had two hits, including her first college home run, as the Bruins jumped ahead early and cruised to victory. 

Chavez got the Bruins going in the top of the 1st with a two-out solo shot to right, and they expanded their lead with four in the 3rd.  Kris Trindle started the rally with a triple, and after Chriss walked, the two worked a double steal.  Mckynna Towery doubled in Chriss, and after McKenzie Beeson walked and Nicole Renteria hit into a force play, Kerrianne Davidson doubled in two.

The Bruins added single runs in the 5th and 6th innings, Renteria's sacrifice fly scoring Chriss in the 5th and Chriss doubling in Chavez, who had reached on a bunt single, in the 6th.  A three-run rally in the 7th iced the win, Beeson scoring on a wild pitch, Renteria scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jenny Milton, and Erin Hento scoring on the back end of a double steal with Trindle.

The Regals got a run in the 4th as Danika Green drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Brittany Labbe, another in the 5th on an RBI grounder by Shannon Tinsley to score Kayla Sakamoto, and one in the 6th on a Danika Green home run.  Cal Lu got its final two runs in the 7th on a grounder by Labbe to score Sakamoto and a sacrifice fly by Tinsley to plate Kathleen Watson-Otani.

Allyssa DenDekker (2-1) worked four-plus innings to get the win for the Bruins, allowing four hits and two runs with two strikeouts and three walks.  Hento pitched two innings and Rachel Fielder one to finish up.  Katelyn Downing (0-5) started and took the loss for the Regals, allowing six hits and five runs with three walks in 2.1 innings.

Joining Chriss and Chavez in the Bruins' hit parade were Towery, Beeson and Davidson with two hits each.  Watson-Otani had two of the Regals' six safeties.

Game 2 - at California Lutheran 9, George Fox 7

In the nightcap, George Fox built up a 7-1 lead through 4 1/2 innings but gave it all up in one big inning as the home team picked up its first win of the year.

The Bruins opened with three runs in the top of the 1st, all unearned, Chavez tripling in Trindle to get things going.  Chavez and Chriss later scored on a double error.  Two more runs in the 2nd made it 5-0, Chavez tripling again to score Milton and Trindle.  Fielder singled, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice, and scored on Trindle's sacrifice fly to center as the George Fox lead grew to 6-0 in the 4th. 

George Fox starter Taylor Whitmore held the Regals scoreless through three innings before Sara Lichtsinn hit a solo homer for Cal Lu's first run in the home half of the 4th and was pulled in favor of DenDekker.  The Bruins got that run back in the 5th on Chriss' first home run of the season, a shot to center.

Tinsley slugged a three-run home run to get the Regals started on their winning rally in the bottom of the 5th, cutting the Bruin lead to 7-4.  After Lichtsinn doubled, Hento (1-2) replaced DenDekker but could not stem the tide.  Green reached on an error and Katelyn Downing singled in Lichtsinn to make it 7-5, Ryan Morua singled in Green, and Sakamoto doubled in the tying and go-ahead runs.  Watson-Otani singled in Sakamoto for an insurance run, and the Bruins went 1-2-3 in the 7th.

Nicolby Atallah (1-2) went the distance for the Regals, spacing 10 hits while allowing seven runs, four earned, with three strikeouts and no walks.  Three Bruin hurlers allowed 12 hits and nine earned runs.

Chavez and Fielder had two hits apiece for the Bruins, with Chavez knocking in three runs.  Sakamoto, Watson-Otani, Lichtsinn, Green and Downing had two hits each for the Regals.

NEXT: George Fox (3-3) returns to Oregon to take part in the Northwest Cup at Hood View Park in Clackamas Feb. 18-19, starting Saturday with the College of Idaho at 9:00 a.m. and Concordia University-Portland at 11:00 a.m. ... California Lutheran University (1-7) visits Occidental College Saturday for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference twinbill starting at 12:00 noon.