NEWBERG, Ore. – Erin Hento pitched a four-hit shutout in the opener and Bethany Chriss stroked a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning of the nightcap as the George Fox University Bruins swept a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader from the Pacific University Boxers, 8-0 and 3-2, Monday afternoon here at Morse Field.

George Fox improved to 16-13 overall and 11-6 in the conference, while Pacific fell to 8-18 overall and 6-12 in league play.  The Bruins are currently resting in the fourth and final playoff spot for the NWC Tournament, and moved five-and-a-half games ahead of the sixth-place Boxers.  Whitworth University is in fifth at 10-10, two-and-a-half games behind George Fox, after sweeping a four-game set from Lewis & Clark College on Sunday and Monday.

Game 1 - at George Fox 8, Pacific 0

Hento (6-4) went the distance in the six-inning opener that was called due to the college eight-run 'mercy' rule, striking out three and walking one.  She enjoyed the benefit of a 15-hit attack by her offense that pinned the loss on Pacific starter Chelsey Chamberlain (4-6), who went the first four innings, striking out three with no walks but allowing seven hits and three runs.

The Bruins picked up their first run in the 2nd when singles by McKenzie Beeson, Kerrianne Davidson, and Genetta Bennett loaded the bases and Nicole Renteria beat out an infield hit to short.  They added two more in the 4th as Davidson singled, Bennett was hit by a pitch, Mckynna Towery sacrificed, Renteria singled in Davidson, and Jenny Milton plated Bennett with a sacrifice fly to center. 

The Bruins touched reliever Jenny Yano for three in the 5th, Davidson doubling in Chriss and Beeson, and Towery singling to score pinch runner Kirsten Ankeny.  They closed it out with two in the 6th off reliever Shannon Miller when Renteria scored on Kris Trindle's grounder to first which was misplayed for an error, and Trindle scored on a bases-loaded single by Beeson.

Beeson, Davidson, and Renteria all had three hits for the Bruins, while Felicia Chavez had two hits. 

Game 2 - at George Fox 3, Pacific 2 (10 innings)

Unlike the first game, the second one was a nail-biter that saw both teams miss numerous offensive opportunities.  There were 19 hits in the game, but only five runs scored, and the teams combined to leave 20 runners on base.

George Fox starter Allyssa DenDekker had early control problems, walking Jenny Stevens to start the game and giving up a bunt single to Becca Moen, but worked out of it with two ground outs and a strikeout.  In the 2nd, she surrendered a lead-off single to Ashley Billingsley and walked Miller and Kaitlyn Shikada.  Hento relieved and induced Kiera Melton to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, then got Stevens on a bouncer back to the mound to thwart the Boxers' best threat.

Chamberlain (4-7) also started the second game and faced the minimum through three innings, allowing only a triple to Trindle in the 1st, who was gunned down at home trying for an inside-the-park home run.  The Bruins finally broke through against her in the 4th when Milton singled, advanced on a sacrifice and an infield hit by Chavez that traveled no more than 15 feet from home, and scored on an infield single by Chriss off the glove of Shikada at third. 

Chamberlain tied it in the 5th with a tremendous blast to center, her fifth home run of the season.  Pacific took the lead in the 6th with an unearned run as Billingsley reached on an error by Towery at short, pinch runner Randee Layosa was sacrificed to second and stole third, and Shikada singled to left.

Down 2-1 in the last of the 7th, the Bruins stayed alive with a run but missed a golden chance to win it in regulation.  Davidson singled to lead off, Ankeny ran for her, and Bennett stroked a one-out pinch single.  Renteria tied it with a single up the middle, and she and Towery, back in for Bennett, reached second and third on the throw to the plate trying to catch Davidson.  Milton drew a semi-intentional walk to load the bases, but Chamberlain escaped by getting Trindle on a pop to short and striking out Chavez.

Pacific had a chance to take the lead in the top of 9th against Bruin southpaw Rachel Fielder (5-2) when Melton was hit by a pitch and reached third on a ground out and a wild pitch with one away, but Fielder got Moen on a come-backer to the mound and, after Chamberlain was intentionally passed, a line out by Lauren Tuey to second.

The Bruins won it with a tainted run in the last of the 10th.  Milton drew a lead-off walk and went to third when a one-out grounder by Chavez went through Stevens' legs at short, with Chavez winding up at second.  Instead of walking Chriss to load the bases, the Boxers decided to pitch to the Bruins' clean-up hitter, who responded with a deep drive that landed in left-center as Milton coasted home.

Chamberlain took the loss despite nine strikeouts, allowing two walks and 10 hits, including two each to Milton and Chriss.  The Bruins' three hurlers surrendered nine hits, three to Moen and two each to Tuey and Shikada.  Pacific stranded 11 runners, George Fox nine.

The games were played Monday to make up two of four games which were cancelled by rain over the weekend.  No makeup date has been decided upon yet for the remaining two games of the series.

NEXT: George Fox visits defending NCAA Division III national champion and current No. 1-ranked Linfield College for four games this Friday and Saturday in McMinnville, Ore.  Friday's twinbill has been moved back from 12:00 noon to a 4:00 p.m. start to avoid missing classes, while Saturday's pair will still start at noon ... Pacific hosts No. 7-ranked Pacific Lutheran University Friday for two at 4:00 p.m.