By: Ryan Lackey

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Bruins began their 2016 Northwest Conference schedule on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with the Linfield Wildcats, currently ranked #5 nationally. In the first game, Linfield scored two in the seventh for a late 4-2 win, but the Bruins came right back in the nightcap, scoring three in the first as part of a 5-3 victory.

Recap:

Game One
The Bruins's familiar one-two pitching partnership did well to hold the high-flying Wildcats in check. Starter Abbie Bergerson went five-and-two-thirds innings and grudged Linfield just two runs—one earned—on five hits. That she took the loss shouldn't diminish her gutsy performance against one of the nation's top offenses. Madison Sorensen worked the final one-and-a-third innings.

Linfield scored first, when in the second inning Melanie Oord singled, was sacrificed to second, and eventually scored on an error. The Bruins threatened in the fourth, and then broke through in the fifth to tie the game. With two outs, Kat Hylton worked a walk and raced to second on a wild pitch. Rebecca Pridmore then roped a single to right, and Hylton trotted in to score.

But the even score didn't hold long. The next half-inning, the Wildcats pushed across a run on Oord's RBI single, and the score was 2-1, Linfield. The damage could've been much worse, but Sorensen, relieving Bergerson, stranded two runners by fanning Maddy Colson.

The Bruins came back to tie it again in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and Kayla Anderson, who'd singled, on second, Courtney Howard pinged a single up the middle, and the game was level, 2-2.

But in the seventh, Linfield's designated hitter, Cheyenne Fletcher, batting with one on, jumped on a rare Sorensen mistake and homered to center. Suddenly down 4-2, the Bruins got two runners on in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't score, and Linfield took the first game.

Game Two
Credit to the Bruins: after losing a winnable game one, they came back in the second and hung three on the Wildcats in the first. Rebecca Pridmore walked to lead off, and Kimi Ito singled. Kayla Anderson then picked an opportune time to blast her first home run of the season: her three-run shot gave the Bruins an early 3-0 lead.

Much is made of the Bergerson/Sorensen duo, but Alyssa Parra has done well in the young 2016 season, and on Saturday she battled through three gritty innings in fine fashion. The Wildcats couldn't get to her until the third, when Colson singled and eventually scored on an error by Amanda Woods at third. They added another in the fourth. Paige Smotherman doubled to begin the inning, and Sorensen came in to relieve Parra. Alexi Michael, running for Smotherman, scored, but the Bruins still held a 3-2 lead.

That lead grew to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth, as the Bruins again flashed their power. Batting with two outs and the bases empty, Annie Veatch did everything herself, ripping a shot to left that cleared the fence easily. Veatch's homer gave the Bruins a cushion that they added to in the sixth. With one out and the bases loaded, the Bruins seemed poised to break the game wide open. Pridmore did well to be patient, and her walk forced in a run. But Kassia Brown struck out, and Anderson smashed a frozen rope right at the shortstop, and the Bruins had to settle for a 5-2 lead.

In the seventh, Linfield threatened a comeback. Putting two runners on, it was again Oord who singled in a run, and the Wildcats shaved the lead to 5-3 and still had two runners on base. But Sorensen saw the game out, stranding two and giving the Bruins a significant 5-3 victory over the Wildcats.

Top Performers:

Game One
Kayla Anderson finished 3-4 with a run, heating up after a middling start. Courtney Howard was 1-3 with an RBI. Rebecca Pridmore was 1-2 with an RBI and a walk.

Game Two
Anderson and Veatch stood out with their home runs. Anderson was 1-4 with three RBI; Veatch went 1-2. Kimi Ito was a perfect 2-2 with a run. Pridmore waited out another two walks and scored.

What It Means:
The Bruins are 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the NWC after Saturday.

What Comes Next:
Tomorrow, the Bruins complete their four-game series against Linfield with another doubleheader.