By: Ryan Lackey

ORANGE, Calif. --- The George Fox University softball team opened its season with a split against Chapman, Friday afternoon.

Game 1

The Bruins took the first seven-inning game of Friday night's doubleheader against the Chapman University Panthers, 5-3, with a late go-ahead run in the sixth. Bruin starter Abbie Bergerson went the distance and picked up her first win of the season, scattering seven hits and a pair of walks over her seven innings of work. 

Chapman jumped on Bergerson early and scored two of their three runs in the first inning. After a groundout, Bergerson surrendered a walk and then belted Chapman's three-hitter, Taylor Cartwright, with an errant pitch. With two runners on, Bergerson got Lisa Perez on a lazy fly for the second out but proceeded to give up two straight RBI singles to make the early score 2-0, Chapman.

The Bruins scratched a run back in the top of the third. Kat Hylton led off the inning with a single and went to second on Julia Apodaca's walk. Leadoff batter Rebecca Pridmore promptly drove in Hylton with a resounding double, cutting the Chapman lead to 2-1. Unsatisfied with merely reducing their deficit, the Bruins seized the lead in the fourth with a pair of runs. First baseman Megan Furtado singled, and Ashley Bunce wore a pitch to give George Fox two runners on. Baylee Westrick laid down a soft sacrifice to move Bunce and Furtado; the latter scored on the next play, as the Chapman third baseman was unable to handle Hylton's grounder and gave up an unearned run. Apodaca then tripled in Bunce to make the score 3-2.The Bruins added to their lead in the next inning, as Courtney Howard tripled and then scored another unearned run on another Chapman error.

Chapman got one back in the bottom of the fifth as Amber Perez singled home Sarah Taketa, but the Bruins added insurance in the next half-inning. After an Apodaca single, Pridmore and Anderson walked, and designated hitter Amanda Woods earned a tough RBI, wearing a hit-by-pitch to force in Apocada. The 5-3 score line stood for a George Fox victory.

Julia Apodaca did it all for the Bruins, going 2-3 with a triple, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Megan Furtado also went 2-3, and Rebecca Pridmore doubled in her 1-2 performance.

Abbie Bergerson took home the win for the Bruins, while Chapman's starter Cassie Oregal was hung with the loss.

Game 2

After a resolute 5-3 victory in the first half of Friday night's doubleheader, the Bruins dropped the nightcap in heart-wrenching fashion, losing 1-0 to the Chapman University Panthers despite surrendering only two hits.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, both Panther hits came in the second inning, when Bruins pitcher Amanda Woods made her only mistake of the game: a long triple to Amber Perez. The next batter, Kristen Weiser, singled her home to push across the games only run. Woods took the loss to begin the season 0-1, but a better-pitched loss seems impossible to fathom. Besides a mere two hits, Woods struck out two batters and gave up only one walk in four innings. Reliever Madison Sorenson finished the seven-inning game and whiffed an impressive four batters in only two innings of work.

As good as the Bruins's arms were, though, Chapman's Natalie Both was a touch better. The Bruins managed only three hits themselves off of Both, who tallied five strikeouts in her complete-game victory.

The Bruins came closest to scoring in the fourth, when with two outs and runners on the corners Megan Furtado lined a frozen rope right at Chapman second baseman Larissa Rinauro.

Rebecca Pridmore, Courtney Howard, and Amanda Woods all collected hits for the Bruins.

Chapman University now stands at 2-1 on the year. With the split decision in the doubleheader, the Bruins begin their season even at 1-1. The Bruins will look to edge back over the .500 mark tomorrow night when they travel to Pomona-Pitzer for another afternoon doubleheader.