By Joshua Nutter

NEWBERG — The George Fox softball team hosted its home opener on Saturday afternoon as Lewis & Clark visited the Bruins for the first Northwest Conference doubleheader of the year. The Bruins swept the Pioneers with wins of 5-2 and an 8-7 walk-off thriller at Morse Athletic Complex. 

George Fox came into the matchup at 4-2 after some early season non-league competition in California with wins against Redlands, Whitter, and Occidental. 

Game One

Roni Braun slapped a home run, her first of the year, in the bottom of the first to put George Fox ahead 1-0 in the early going. The Bruins had a pair of runners on second and third when a storm system came rolling through and caused a 30-minute delay in the second. 

When the downpour subsided, Kamryn Potter hit a double to centerfield to score Kimberly Pulido and put the Bruins up 2-0. Braun then singled to score Savannah Vargas to go up 3-0. Bruin hurler Ashley Davis was strong in the early innings, holding the Pioneers to just one hit after the third. 

The Pioneers got on the board in the fourth inning when Kai Pinera scored from first on a deep double by Fran Warden, cutting the Bruins lead to 4-1. 

The Bruins added an insurance run in the fifth when Mikaelie Sullivan scored from first on a base hit by Pulido to extend their lead to 5-1. Davis stayed ahead of the Pioneers batters for the rest of the game and finished off by fanning Pinera for a final score of 5-2. 

Game Two

Lewis & Clark came out swinging, putting their first two hitters on base before Bruins' starter Caitlyn Rhoades settled in to retire the side and prevent any early runs. The Pioneers kept swinging, scoring a pair of runs on a double in the top of the second. Fox responded with a two-run double by Allison Meyer to even it up at 2-2 in the bottom of the frame. The Bruins added two more in the inning when Potter hit a two-run base hit. Roni Braun followed by sending a homer past the left-field fence to put the Bruins ahead 6-2. Braun's dinger inspired a pitching change by the Pios, bringing Megan Anderson to the circle. 

L&C scored a pair of runs in the fourth, chasing Rhoades, who was replaced by Sarah Storton. The Pioneers bookended Rhoades' exit with two more runs. The Bruins infield got out of a bases-loaded jam with a 4-3 double play from Potter to Aaliyah Kautz to wrap up the top of the fourth with a 6-6 tie ballgame. 

Lewis & Clark jumped ahead in the fifth inning with an RBI base hit from Megan Richardson. Ashley Davis took the mound in relief of Storton for the Bruins. The Pioneers loaded up the bases on Davis before Pulido pulled off an unassisted double play to escape the jam for the Bruins down 7-6. 

George Fox was trailing 7-6 going into the bottom of the seventh when Kautz unloaded on the first pitch she saw with one out in the inning, sending the ball over the scoreboard in left field to even it up at 7-7. 

After a long battle with Anderson earlier in the inning, Mikaelie Sullivan followed up Kautz's homer with a booming hit of her own. Her bomb cleared the fences for a walk-off homer, giving the Bruins an 8-7 win and the Saturday sweep. 

"Aaliyah and Mikaelie both had some good bats leading up to the seventh inning, so to see them [post] back-to-back home runs to walk us off was fun, "said head coach Jessica Hollen. "Big moments!!"

What It Means

The Bruins strong start continues as they improve to 6-2 on the year while opening conference play at 1-0.

Top Performers

Braun and Sullivan both had stellar days at the plate. Braun displayed her power with a pair of home runs, going 3-for-7 on the day. Sullivan was 2-for-5, including the ultimate game-winning homer. Davis had an excellent day in the circle for the Bruins, pitching in both games. The sophomore put up a complete-game victory in the first, followed by 2.33 innings of relief in the second to earn her second win of the day. Davis totaled six strikeouts on the day. 

What Happens Next

The Bruins and Pioneers will finish off their four-game series with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 11 am.