NEWBERG, Ore. –  Maintaining a share of second place in the Northwest Conference softball race, the George Fox University Bruins swept one of the three teams they had been tied with, the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers, 4-2 and 5-0 behind the stingy pitching of Allyssa DenDekker, Rachel Fielder and Erin Hento Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field.

The Bruins had entered the day in a tie for second in the NWC with the Pioneers, Pacific Lutheran University, and Pacific University, all one game behind Linfield College.  George Fox improved to 10-6 overall and 7-3 in conference play, while Lewis & Clark fell to 10-8 overall and 5-5 in the league.  Pacific won twice at Whitworth University while Linfield and PLU played non-conference games.

Game 1 – George Fox 4, Lewis & Clark 2

DenDekker (4-0) went the distance in the opener for her fourth complete game, spacing eight hits while stranding seven runners with two strikeouts and a walk.  The loss went to Madison Hollenbeck (4-3), who was touched for 11 Bruin hits and four runs, two earned, fanning four with no walks.

The Pios got both their runs in the 2nd, first loading the bases on a single by Jet'aime Mullins, a walk to Amanda Rabith, and a single by Hollenbeck.  After a force at the plate, Megan Andre singled to left to score Rabith, and Haley Robinson was hit by a pitch to push Hollenbeck across.

George Fox tied it in the 3rd. Nicole Renteria singled to left with one out and scored on Kayla Anderson's triple to right-center, and Amanda Woods hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Anderson with the tying run.

The Bruins broke the deadlock in the 6th with two unearned tallies.  Kat Hylton and Felicia Chavez singled with one out and Bethany Chriss was hit by a pitch to fill the bases.  With the infield in, Renteria's grounder to second was booted as Hylton scored, and Anderson's sacrifice fly to center plated Chavez with an insurance run. 

Renteria led the Bruin offense by going 3-4, and Hylton and Chavez had two hits apiece, with Anderson driving in two runs.  Robinson and Hollenbeck had two hits each for the Pioneers.

Game 2 – George Fox 5, Lewis & Clark 0

Southpaw Fielder (2-1) and right-hander Hento teamed up for the second-game shutout.  Fielder went 5.2 innings, surrendering eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk, and left in the 6th after a walk to Natalie Rose and singles by Caitlin McCormick and Hollenbeck loaded the bases with two away.  Hento came in to strike out pinch-hitter Lauren Lovato, then gave up a walk and a single to Robinson to start the 7th before getting a ground out, a pop up, and a strikeout for her second save of the season.

The Bruins got the only run they would need in the 2nd on back-to-back doubles by Kerrianne Davidson and Jenna Kirk, pinch-runner Naomi Lee scoring on Kirk's hit.  In the 3rd, Woods reached on a fielder's choice and scored on consecutive singles by Hylton and Fielder. 

A three-run 4th took some of the pressure off the Bruin hurlers.  Kirk and Chriss singled and Renteria delivered them both with a ringing double to right.  Anderson's double off the top of the fence in dead center scored Renteria.

Jill Pinder (4-2) went 4.2 innings for Lewis & Clark in taking the loss, allowing 10 hits and all five runs with one walk before Rose threw 2.1 innings of one-hit shutout ball.  Chriss, Anderson and Kirk all had two hits for the Bruins, while Robison and Hannah Dal Pra had two safeties each for the Pios.

NEXT: George Fox and Lewis & Clark conclude their conference series Sunday with another doubleheader at Morse Field, starting at 12:00 noon.