By: Ryan Lackey

FOREST GROVE, Ore. --- The Bruins suffered a tough loss in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with Pacific, but rebounded in the second for a split. In the first game, Kimi Ito knocked in two runs, but the Bruins lost to Pacific, who surged late, 7-4. Amanda Woods's three-run shot in the second game, plus a dominating performance from Madison Sorensen, sealed a 3-1 win for the Bruins.

Recap:

Game One
Abbie Bergerson was erratic but largely effective in her four-and-two-thirds innings, giving up ten hits but only four runs. Pacific's starter Marissa Reichard threw a complete game and did well to escape several jams.

The Bruins loaded the bases in the first but failed to score, while Pacific, in the bottom of the first, did manage to push across a run on Ashley Mitchell's single. But in the fourth the Bruins seized the lead: Courtney Howard and Kat Hylton both singled, and Alyssa Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ito roped a single to center, scoring two, and the Bruins notched a third on Kayla Anderson's sacrifice fly.

But Pacific came back to tie the score in the bottom of the inning. Reichard helped her own cause by doubling in two runs, and things were all square at 3-3.

The Boxers took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on Quirena Natividad's RBI single, but the Bruins manufactured a run in the sixth to even things again: Ashley Bunce was hit by a pitch, went to third on Anderson's long double, and scored on Amanda Woods's RBI groundout.

With the score 4-4, things swung Pacific's way again, getting three runs off of reliever Alyssa Harris in the sixth. The Bruins were unable to do anything in the seventh, and the 7-4 final went to the Boxers.

Game Two
Sorensen threw six innings and allowed the Boxers just four hits, striking out five. Pacific never seemed a threat to score, but the Bruins were similarly anemic until the fourth. After Hylton drilled a single up the middle and Howard worked a patient walk, Woods bombed a long three-run homer, putting the Bruins up 3-0.

The Boxers finally looked dangerous in the sixth, loading the bases, but Sorensen, bearing down, induced a groundout to end the danger.

Abbie Bergerson relieved Sorensen in the seventh, and Pacific scratched out a run with two singles and an RBI groundout, but Bergerson recorded the last two outs, and the Bruins took a 3-1 win and a doubleheader split.

Top Performers:

Game One
Ito was 2-5 and knocked in two runs. Kat Hylton was 3-3 and scored a run.

Game Two
Woods provided all the Bruins's offense with one swing; she finished 1-3 with her home run. Hylton was 2-3 with a run. Ito was 3-5.

What It Means:
The split settles the Bruins at 20-10 overall and 10-8 in conference.

What Comes Next:
Tomorrow, the Bruins play another doubleheader to conclude their four-game set at Pacific.