By Josh Nutter

TACOMA, Wash. --- The George Fox softball team finished off their season series with Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader in Tacoma with a 6-3 seventh inning comeback victory followed by an explosive 17-8 victory to earn the four game sweep.

How It Happened 

The Bruins bats got started early. Kamryn Potter showed off some brawn in the top of the first with a two-run blast to deep centerfield that scored Olivia Nelson to take an early 2-0 lead. The 'Lutes responded in the third due to a George Fox fielding error that allowed Chaella Galapon to cross home to cut into the Bruins lead and make it 2-1. Kennedy Robillard added to the PLU tally in the fourth with a two run shot to give the 'Lutes the lead. The score held steady at 3-2 until the seventh inning when George Fox turned up the heat and rallied all the way back. Vargas stepped up to the plate with the go-ahead runner on first and one thing in mind, taking the lead. Vargas did just that for the Bruins, sending a fastball high and deep over the left field wall for a three-run homer to give the Bruins a 5-3 lead. Four batters later, Claire Fountain crossed home on a sacrifice fly by Jennifer McCue to put the Bruins ahead 6-3. The Bruins defense held on for the win. 

Potter gave the 'Lutes deja vu in the first inning of game two, launching yet another two-run homer to right field with no outs to start the Bruins scoring early and take a 2-0 lead before PLU knew what hit them. The 'Lutes weren't going to fade away so quickly though, as they scored three runs on their first four at-bats, chasing Bruins' starter Sarah Storton, who was replaced by Emma Eastman to finish off the frame with PLU leading 3-2. PLU added to their lead in the second frame with a solo homer from Robillard to make it 4-2. The 'Lutes would add three more runs before the inning was done to take a strong 7-2 lead. 

George Fox wasn't about to go away quietly. The Bruins bats showed off their typical game two firepower and began to chip into the Lutes lead. Katie Ladd launched one over the fences in the third to score Potter and make it 7-5. The Bruins made it 7-6 in the top of the fourth before the 'Lutes closed out the inning with another run to make it 8-6. George Fox continued the rally in the fifth to knot up the score at eight. 

The Bruins blew the doors off of the game in the sixth inning. Potter and Vargas started things off right away with back-to-back homers to give the Bruins a lead. The Bruins proceeded to load up the bases with one away. Fountain scored on a passed ball, the following at bat sent Maria Guglielmo to extend the lead to 12-8. The 'Lutes switched out pitchers and left runners on the corners for Pulido. She then proceeded to launch a three-run blast to put the Bruins ahead 15-8. The Bruins put two more runs on the board before the 'Lutes could get out of the inning, and took a commanding 17-8 lead into the bottom of the frame for the win.

Top Performers

Kamryn Potter fired three homers over the PLU fences in the doubleheader. Vargas launched away two more homers with one in each game and had four runs batted in on the day. Ladd also had a breakout day at the plate for the Bruins, going 4-for-9 on the day with a homer and three runs batted in on the day.

What It Means

George Fox improves to 14-6 overall and 10-2 in conference to sit at No. 2 in the 2021 NWC standings.

What Happens Next

The Bruins start a four-game series with Puget Sound next Saturday with game one starting at noon.