NEWBERG, Ore. – Erin Hento threw a complete-game four-hitter in the 11-inning opener, then got the final out in the nightcap for her fifth save of the year as the George Fox University Bruins swept the Pacific University Boxers 2-1 and 3-1 in a crucial Northwest Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon here at Morse Field.

With the twin wins, George Fox improved to 18-17 overall and 13-10 in the conference, while the Boxers fell to 10-22 overall and 8-16 in league play.  The Bruins now lead Whitworth University (10-14 in the NWC) by three-and-a-half games in the race for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming NWC Tournament. 

Game 1 - at George Fox 2, Pacific 1 (11 innings)

Right-handers Hento (7-5) and Chelsey Chamberlain for Pacific hooked up in a brilliant pitching duel through the first six innings of the opener.  Each allowed only two singles in that span, and from the 2nd through the 4th innings, both sides went three-up, three-down.

Pacific caught a break in the top of the 7th when Jordan Mittelsdorf reached on an error by Bethany Chriss at third to start the inning, and pinch runner Randee Layosa was sacrificed to second.  Kaitlyn Shikada lined out to Nicole Renteria in left and Layosa, thinking the ball would drop, was well off the bag, but Renteria's throw trying to double her off bounced and the runner got back safely.  Kiera Melton followed with a two-out single to right that scored Layosa with the go-ahead run.

Chloe Hanson (5-6) replaced Chamberlain in the last of the 7th to try to nail it down for the visitors, and she quickly got a strikeout and a popup for the first two outs.  The Bruins were down to their final strike when, with a 2-2 count, Chriss atoned for her miscue in the top of the inning by clobbering a low changeup over the fence in dead center for her third home run of the season, tying the score.

Hento was at her best in the four extra innings, allowing only one runner when Nikki King singled with two out in the 8th.  The Bruins, meanwhile, missed chances to win it in the 8th with a runner at third and two out, and in the 9th with the bases loaded and only one out, but Hanson escaped both jams.  She was not as fortunate in the 11th, however, as Jenny Milton beat out a slow grounder to second for a lead-off infield hit and Felicia Chavez lined a double to left-center that scored Milton standing up with the game-winner.

Hento finished with six strikeouts and only two walks.  Chamberlain gave up two hits and fanned three with a walk in her six innings, while Hanson allowed four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in four-plus innings.  Milton and Chriss were the only players with two hits in the game.

Game 2 - at George Fox 3, Pacific 1

Pacific took a 1-0 lead in the second game with an unearned run in the 1st.  Becca Moen walked, went to second on a ground out, and stayed there as Chamberlain walked.  The two then worked a double steal, and Moen scored when catcher McKenzie Beeson's throw to third was muffed by shortstop Mckynna Towery for an error. 

The Bruins tied it in the 3rd against Chamberlain, who also started the second game, when Kris Trindle doubled to right-center, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Chriss. 

Shannon Miller (0-5) replaced Chamberlain to start the last of the 5th and gave up a one-out single to Trindle, who stole second and went to third on a wild pitch.  Chriss struck out, but Kerrianne Davidson's sharp grounder to short went through the legs of King for a two-base error as Trindle scored.  Taylor Whitmore, running for Davidson, scored an insurance run when King threw away Beeson's grounder to short.

Allyssa DenDekker (5-6) was the beneficiary of the Boxers' largesse, scattering six hits over 6.2 innings.  She struck out four, but walked six and had to escape several jams, stranding the bases loaded in both the 3rd and 5th frames.  In the 7th, she got the first two batters out on a grounder and a popup, but surrendered a double to Lauren Tuey and a single to Mittelsdorf to put runners on the corners.  Hento took over at that point and induced Ashley Billingsley to fly to Chavez in right for the final out and her fifth save.

Trindle and Beeson had two hits apiece for the Bruins, with Trindle scoring twice.  Moen and Shikada had two hits each for the Boxers.

NEXT: George Fox will play a makeup game at Lewis & Clark College Thursday at 5:00 p.m., then host Whitworth in a four-game set Saturday and Sunday, with doubleheaders at 12:00 noon on both days, that will determine the final berth in the NWC Tournament, one way or another.  Linfield College, Pacific Lutheran University, and Willamette University have already sewed up spots ... Pacific hosts Lewis & Clark Saturday and Sunday for 12:00 noon twinbills to close the season.