CLACKAMAS, Ore. – An eight-run outburst in the 5th inning of the second game enabled the George Fox University Bruins to rally for a 10-7 win and earn a split of their Northwest Conference softball doubleheader with Willamette University after the Bearcats had taken the opener 9-1 Sunday afternoon here at Hood View Park.

The games were played on a chilly, rainy, snowy, sunshiny day typical of Oregon's late winter weather at Hood View's artificial-turf facilities due to wet grounds at George Fox's Morse Field in Newberg.

Game 1 – Willamette 9, George Fox 1

In a third straight game shortened to five innings because of college softball's eight-run 'mercy rule', Willamette's Mica Romero slugged two home runs in leading the Bearcats to their third straight win. 

The Bearcats got two unearned runs in the 1st off George Fox southpaw Rachel Fielder (1-1), one on a throwing error at short and the other on a wild pitch.  Romero hit her first round-tripper, a solo shot to left, in the 2nd.

The Bearcats took firm control with five in the 3rd.  Allison Martin singled, stole second, and scored on a double by Heather Winslow.  After a wild pitch, Winslow scored on Theresa Martin's bunt single.  Hope Kloczko scored the third run on a wild pitch, Courtney Galli scored on a bad throw to second on a steal by Romero, and Nichole Robertson singled in Romero to cap the inning.  Romero hit her second solo shot in the 5th.

George Fox got it only run off Alex Watilo (4-2) in the 3rd, Kerrianne Davidson singling and scoring all the way from first when Watilo threw Kris Trindle's bunt single down into the right-field corner.  The Bearcats' ace finished with four hits allowed, five strikeouts and two walks.  Fielder had five K's and one walk for the Bruins in five innings, allowing nine hits and five earned runs.

Romero was the only Bearcat with two hits, while Trindle had half the Bruins' hits with two.  While most of the game was played in a steady drizzle, it rained hard enough to delay the game for three minutes in the 3rd, and for 45 minutes in the 5th by a light non-sticking snowfall.

Game 2 - George Fox 10, Willamette 7

The Bruins salvaged the final game of the four-game set with a stout pitching performance by Erin Hento (3-3), who surrendered 15 hits but stranded nine Bearcat runners, allowing seven runs, five earned, with three strikeouts and two walks. 

Willamette got two unearned runs in the 2nd as Romero reached on a throwing error at short and scored on a two-out triple by Robertson, who raced home when Suzannah Von Trapp grounded out to third.  The Bruins got one run back in the home half as Bethany Chriss walked, advanced on a slow roller to second, and scored on Mckynna Towery's clutch single to center.

Theresa Martin walked, stole second, and scored on Kelli Snyder's single to right to make it 3-1 in the 3rd, but the Bruins got that one back in the 4th when McKenzie Beeson drew a bases-loaded walk with two out to force in Nicole Renteria.  The Bearcats took a 5-2 lead in the 5th as Snyder singled in Theresa Martin, who had doubled, and then scored on a double steal with Romero.

Down 5-2, the Bruins exploded for eight runs in the last of the 5th to pin the loss on Bearcat starter Hayley Glantz (0-3).  Jenny Milton doubled to open the frame and Felicia Chavez bunted for a hit, then the two worked a one-out double steal.  Infield singles by Fielder and Renteria loaded the bases, and Towery hit a sacrifice fly to right, with all runners advancing.  After Davidson walked, Watilo replaced Glantz and walked Beeson to force in the tying run.  Genetta Bennett's pinch-single to right drove in two for a 7-5 Bruin lead, Milton hit her second double of the inning to make it 9-5, and after a wild pitch, Chavez beat out a grounder to deep second as Milton scored, making it 10-5.

Willamette got two runs back in the 7th on solo home runs by Snyder and Robertson, and Von Trapp reached with a two-out single.  Hento bore down to get Jessica Barry on a grounder to third to end the game, however.

Milton led the Bruins' 11-hit attack with three hits while scoring and driving in two.  Chavez, Fielder, and Towery had two hits apiece.  Snyder collected three hits with two runs scored and three RBIs to lead the Bearcats, while Winslow, Theresa Martin, Robertson and Von Trapp had two safeties each.

In sharp contrast to the first game setting, the second game was played under mostly sunny skies, though the temperature remained only a little above freezing.

NEXT: George Fox (6-8, NWC 1-3) visits the University of Puget Sound next Saturday and Sunday for NWC twinbills, starting at 12:00 noon each day ... Willamette (4-5, NWC 3-1) hosts Corban University Wednesday for a non-conference single game at 2:00 p.m.