NEWBERG, Ore. – Amanda Woods drove in all three runs in the first game and Jenna Kirk drove in the go-ahead run with a line double in the second as the George Fox University Bruins made it two Northwest Conference softball series sweeps in a row with 3-0 and 4-3 wins over the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers Sunday afternoon here at Morse Field.

With back-to-back sweeps of the University of Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark, the Bruins have won eight in a row and improved to 12-6 overall and 9-3 in the conference, putting them into a tie for first with Linfield College, based on identical .750 winning percentages (Linfield is 6-2 in the NWC).  Based on games over .500, the Bruins are alone in first.  Lewis & Clark fell to 10-10 overall and 5-7 in the league as the Pios' losing streak hit six straight.

Game 1 – George Fox 3, Lewis & Clark 0

Woods gave Bruin pitchers Allyssa DenDekker (5-0) and Erin Hento the only run they would need in the opener in the 1st inning when she doubled off the wall in center to drive in Bethany Chriss, who had reached on a lead-off error at third and stolen second.  After a walk to Courtney Howard, Lewis & Clark hurler Natalie Rose (1-3) retired 14 in a row until the Bruins broke loose for two more runs in the 6th.

Nicole Renteria started the 6th-inning rally with a one-out bunt single and Kayla Anderson doubled to left-center.  Woods then singled sharply through the hole into left as Renteria and Anderson scored two valuable insurance runs.

DenDekker went 5.2 innings, scattering four hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Two of her walks came in the sixth, bringing on Hento to protect a 1-0 lead, and she did so by getting Rose to fly out to center.  A 1-2-3 7th secured her third save of the season.  Rose spaced four hits and struck out five with one walk in a complete-game losing effort. 

Woods was the only player in the game with multiple hits, going 2-3 with three RBIs.

Game 2 – George Fox 4, Lewis & Clark 3

The Pioneers snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak against the Bruins in the 1st inning of the nightcap with a unearned run.  Haley Robinson was hit by a pitch to lead off, went all the way to third as Kelsey Buck was safe on a throwing error on her sacrifice bunt to third, and scored on a two-out wild pitch.  The Bruins tied it in their half when Anderson singled to right, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Woods.

Lewis & Clark regained the lead in the 2nd as Madison Hollenbeck singled to right-center, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Maddie Lee's single to center was mishandled for an error.  Back came the Bruins in the 3rd, Felicia Chavez starting their rally with a bunt single.  All hands were safe when first baseman Mariah Lindberg fielded a bouncer by Chriss and threw too late to second trying to force Chavez, and Nicole Renteria grounded a single to left to drive in the tying run.

The Bruins broke the 2-2 tie with two in the 4th.  Kat Hylton and Courtney Howard each singled around a pop out, and Kirk delivered Hylton with a two-base liner over the head of center fielder Buck.  A sacrifice fly to center by Chavez scored Howard.

The Pios got one run back in the 6th as Jet'aime Mullins singled to right, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Hollenbeck's single to right-center.  In the 7th, the Pios got the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position with two out on a single by Rose and a two-base error in left on a liner by Hannah Dal Pra, but Hento, on in relief for the final inning, notched her second save of the day and fourth of the year by getting Mullins on a soft liner which was back-handed by Anderson at short for the final out.

Rachel Fielder (3-1) got the win for the Bruins, working six innings and allowing six hit and three runs, two earned, with no walks or strikeouts.  Hollenbeck (4-4) went all the way for the Pios, allowing seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Hollenbeck and Lee each went 2-3 for the Pios.  No one had multiple hits for the Bruins as seven of the nine starters had one hit apiece.

NEXT: George Fox visits defending NWC Tournament and NCAA Division III national champion Pacific Lutheran University Saturday-Sunday for a four-game series, with doubleheaders starting at 12:00 noon each day ... Lewis & Clark goes to defending conference champion and national runner-up Linfield Saturday for two, starting at 12:00 noon.