McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- The George Fox softball team split its doubleheader with Linfield on Monday to claim the 2021 Northwest Conference regular-season championship.

How It Happened

The Wildcats jumped on the Bruins early in game one and held them down offensively throughout in a dominant one-hit effort for the Linfield starting pitcher. Linfield kept up the charge through six innings on offense and closed it out by run rule, 8-0, to jump ahead in the series.

The Bruins prevailed in game two, however, after busting up a pitchers' duel between the Wildcats' ace and Ashley Davis with a seventh-inning rally. Kamryn Potter got things started with a solo shot in the top of the first, but some sneaky baserunning from the Wildcats knotted it up at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning.

Neither team would score again until the sixth when Savannah Vargas gave the Bruins the lead for good by launching a two-run homer out of the park. A grand slam in the seventh from Katie Ladd and a sacrifice fly from Vargas made it 8-1 and the Bruins held off the Wildcats' rally attempt to take game two, 8-2.

Top Performers

Ladd, Vargas, and Potter all made great use of the long ball in game two, and Ashley Davis earned her 16th win of the season after working a full game and striking out four in game two.

Their Thoughts

"I have been proud of the way that this team has continued to fight together throughout the year; today was no different," coach Jessica Hollen said afterward. "Linfield is a great team - they have been dominant across all of NCAA DIII for the last 20 years and the conference is as tough from top to bottom this season as I have seen it. Being able to win a regular-season championship is something to be proud of - but we're not done yet!" 

What It Means

George Fox splits the season series, 2-2, with Linfield but is one game ahead in the standings. The series split makes Fox the outright regular-season champ for the first time in program history. This is their second overall regular-season title since sharing with Linfield in 2018.

What Happens Next

The Bruins will host the conference tournament later this week as the number one overall seed beginning on Thursday, May 6, with a matchup against no. 4-seeded Whitworth.