SPOKANE, Wash. – Their backs to the wall in pursuit of a berth in the four-team Northwest Conference Softball Tournament, the George Fox University Bruins came through with two huge wins over the Whitworth University Pirates, 6-5 in an eight-inning first game and 12-1 in five innings in the second, Sunday afternoon here at Marks Field.

George Fox finished the regular season at 18-22 overall and 15-13 in the conference, while Whitworth is 20-18 overall and 14-12 in the league.  Linfield College and Pacific Lutheran University have secured the top two spots in the tournament, but the third and fourth places are up for grabs among the Bruins, the Pirates, and the Pacific University Boxers (19-17, NWC 14-12).  Whitworth hosts Willamette University and Pacific visits the University of Puget Sound for make-up doubleheaders on Tuesday.

Game 1 – George Fox 6, Whitworth 5 (8 inn.)

Southpaw Rachel Fielder (6-7) went the distance for the Bruins in the opener, scattering seven hits with six strikeouts and only one walk while allowing just two earned runs.  She got the win when Rachel Sundquist singled in Jenna Kirk with the winning run in the top of the 8th.

The Bruins and Pirates swapped runs in both the 2nd and 3rd innings.  Amanda Woods' third home run of the season put the Bruins on the board in the 2nd, but the Pirates tied it when Riley Fritz singled in Jessica Ross, who had reached second on a dropped fly in right.  Kat Hylton scored on an error by the catcher in the 3rd as the Bruins regained the lead, only to have the Pirates tie it again when Makenzie Hope reached on an error at short, stole second, and scored on a single by Heather Hesselgesser.

The Bruins loaded the bases in the 4th on singles by Kirk and Hylton around a walk to Felicia Chavez.  A two-out error at short allowed Kirk and Chavez to score, and back-to-back walks to Kayla Anderson and Bethany Chriss forced in Hylton.

Whitworth got two runs back in the last of the 4th on a fielder's choice grounder by Natalie Evers and a sacrifice bunt by Hope.  The Pirates tied it in the 6th as Fritz reached on an error at short, and pinch runner Brittany Connor came all the way around on an overthrow to first by Fielder on a bunt single by Evers.

The Bruins punched the winning run across in the 8th as Kirk led off with a single to second, moved up on a ground out by Genetta Duncan, and scored on Sundquist's pinch single to right.  Fielder gave up a one-out single to Ross in the last of the 8th, but got the last two outs on a pop-up and a ground out.

Taylor Gilbert (5-8) took the loss in relief of starter Megan Fisher despite 4.1 innings of two-hit ball.  Fisher gave up five hits and five runs, one earned, with two strikeouts and four walks in 3.2 innings.

Hylton and Kirk had two hits apiece for the Bruins, while Hesselgesser and Ross had two hits each for the Pirates.  Both teams had seven hits in all.

Game 2 – George Fox 12, Whitworth 1

Erin Hento (5-6) threw all five innings for the Bruins in the nightcap, spacing six hits with four strikeouts and no walks.  She got long-ball support from Kayla Anderson and Bethany Chriss, who slugged their seventh and fourth home runs of the season respectively. 

After two scoreless innings, the Bruins broke the game wide open with eight runs in the 3rd.  Singles by Courtney Howard and Nicole Renteria around a hit-by-pitch to Chavez set up Anderson's round-tripper, a grand slam to dead center.  Fisher relieved Fritz (12-6) on the mound for the Pirates and promptly surrendered Chriss' solo shot to center.  Woods scored on a throwing error by reliever Gilbert, and fielder's choice grounders by Chavez and Hylton drove in the final two runs.

Kirk doubled in Anderson in the 4th, and the Bruins closed out the scoring with three in the 5th, all with two out.  Renteria walked, and singles by Anderson and Chriss brought her home.  Anderson scored on a double steal with Chriss, and Woods singled to score Chriss.

The Bruins had 10 hits, led by Anderson with three, along with four RBIs and three runs scored.  Chriss had two hits, scored two, and drove in two.  Caylan Haehl had two hits out of the Pirates' six.