NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox softball team used powerful home-run hitting to take down the Whitworth Pirates in game one, before kicking off their senior day celebrations early with a walk-off win on Saturday at Morse Athletic Field.

Game One

Ashley Davis got the nod in game one for the final home start of her career, and started hot from the mound. Davis retired six straight batters to start the game before a Haley Montoya RBI single gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

The Bruins would not wait long to respond. The bottom of that very inning, Sydney Sandifer stepped up to the plate. With Kamryn Potter, Sharon Tomei, Claire Fountain all on base, Sandifer blasted a first-pitch grand slam to take a 4-1 lead. For Sandifer, it was her third grand slam of the season.

Nearly all of the Bruins' runs in the game came from homers, and five of their runs came thanks to Sandifer herself. The freshman blasted her second home run of the game in the fifth inning to extend the Fox lead to 5-2. However, the Pirates battled back with some solo shots of their own; Whitworth knocked back-to-back balls over the fence to help the Pirates crawl back to within one, down 5-4.

Once again, though, the Bruins fought back. Katie Ladd hit a ball that looked gone but bounced off of the fence for a one-run single. Then it was time for the Bruins to hit their own back-to-back homers. Fountain and Tomei each hit a shot of their own to extend the lead to six. That 10-4 score would end up being the final as Fox took game one.

Game Two

The game started out with less than ideal conditions. A brief rainstorm paused the action for eight minutes before players returned to the field. The Bruins took advantage of the wetter conditions, as Potter advanced to the bases via error before Tomei drove her in to grab a quick 1-0 lead.

With the weather quickly improving, Katie Ladd hit her first homer of the game in dramatic fashion — with the ball once again bouncing off of the fence railing, this time rolling over for a home run. Ladd's three one ball gave the Bruins a commanding 4-0 lead.

After that home run, the Bruins' bats fell silent. The Pirates slowly inched their way back into the game, scoring one run in the third before breaking the floodgates open in the sixth; Whitworth scored three runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game up, 4-4. After both teams failed to score in their next chances, Fox had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.

With Emma Classen quickly reaching scoring position on a leadoff double, the Bruins calmly advanced her to third with a Ladd flyout. Needing only a run to win the game, Kamryn Potter launched a long sac fly to drive home Classen and give Fox a dramatic victory in the final home game of the season.

Top Performances

Four Bruins hit a home run on the day — Sandifer (2), Fountain, Ladd, and Tomei. Sandifer led the team with five RBI on two hits. Claire Fountain's home run in game one not only sent the fans into wild applause, but also tied a record — Fountain's 42 career homers is tied for the most in Fox history with Savannah Vargas. Davis, who returned to pitch in the second game to close, totaled eight strikeouts and picked up two wins. 

Coach's Thoughts

"It's great to get a sweep against a touch team at home on Senior Weekend," said coach Jessica Hollen. "A 30-win season is alwasy a big milestone and I am excited to see what else this team can do."

What It Means

Fox improves to 30-10 overall and is 22-6 against NWC opponents this season. The Bruins have won 10 straight games to finish the regular season. Meanwhile, the Pirates fell to 25-15 on the season with a 15-13 NWC mark.

Up Next

The Bruins have earned the second-best record in the league, and as a result have qualified for the NWC Tournament. The top-seeded Linfield Wildcats will host the tournament in McMinnville, Ore. with a full schedule TBD.