NEWBERG, Ore. – Despite out-hitting Lewis & Clark College 7-3, the George Fox University Bruins dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Pioneers Friday afternoon here at Morse Field that dealt them a serious blow in their bid for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming Northwest Conference Softball Tournament.

The game was the fourth and final makeup of a series that was rained out on Mar. 8-9.  George Fox fell to 23-13 overall and 12-12 in the conference, while Lewis & Clark improved to 11-20 overall and 7-15 in the NWC.  The Bruins thus dropped a full game behind Willamette University, which is in fourth place in the league at 12-10.  The Bruins have four games remaining (all with Pacific University), Willamette six (four with Linfield College, two with Lewis & Clark).  Right behind George Fox and still in the running for the final spot is Pacific Lutheran University, which is 10-14 and has four games left (all with the University of Puget Sound).

Lewis & Clark got its first run in the 2nd on a towering home run to left-center by Madison Hollenbeck, who has hit half of her four home runs this season against the Bruins.  The Pios added another run in the 4th as Hollenbeck walked, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Jenai Rojo's double to deep left-center that bounced out of the glove of diving center fielder Felicia Chavez.

The Bruins got one run back in the home half of the 4th as Kayla Anderson lined her seventh home run of the year off the top of the center field fence and over.  The Bruins got the tying run in scoring position in the 6th when Amanda Woods doubled with one out and again in the 7th on a two-out walk to Megan Furtado and a Chavez single, but the Pios were able to wriggle off the hook both times and escape with the win.

Allyssa DenDekker (7-7) took the hard-luck loss for the Bruins, allowing only two hits and two runs in 3.2 innings.  Erin Hento finished up with a 3.1 innings of one-hit ball, fanning six.  Hollenbeck (7-11) went the distance for the Pios, striking out four with a pair of walks and stranding seven Bruin runners.

Woods went 3-for-3 and Chavez had a pair of hits for the Bruins.  Haley Robinson had the only other hit for the Pios.

NEXT: George Fox goes to Pacific for a doubleheader Saturday, then hosts the Boxers Sunday for the final regular season games of the season.  Both twinbills are set for 12:00 noon starts … Lewis & Clark College hosts Whitworth University for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, also at noon.