SALEM, Ore. --- The George fox softball team swept its conference series against the Bearcats after taking both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 9.
Game One
Ashley Davis earned her 18th victory of the season after a complete-game effort that featured six strikeouts and three runs spread across the seven innings.
The Bruins supported their senior right-hander with three early runs before exploding in the seventh with four late insurance runs.
Claire Fountain drew a walk and eventually scored after advancing on back-to-back singles for the early 1-0 lead, and in the top half of the second Emma Classen scored the second run of the game on a sacrifice fly from Kimberly Pulido.
The Bearcats plated one run in the second, but Fox kept widening its lead. A Bearcat error allowed Brooke Riggins to score in the third, and home runs from Sydney Sandifer, Pulido, and Jennifer McCue made it a 7-1 ball game. The Bearcats rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh but the rally was cut short after the last batter was caught attempting to stretch a single to a double by Classen in center field.
Game Two
Elise Wilkinson pitched her second collegiate complete game and earned the win in game two while striking out six.
Fox sped through game two powered by Sandifer, who has continued her breakout freshman campaign with searing plate appearances over the last few weeks. The freshman catcher started by driving in the winning runs with a homer to dead center in the first inning. In the third, Sandifer once again came to the plate with a runner on and doubled Fountain home after lacing a ball into left field, and capped the game with an RBI single into left field to plate Kamryn Potter. The Bearcats scratched one run across in the fourth but the Bruins' freshmen battery kept the lead for Fox in the series-sweeping win.
Top Performances
The freshman battery of Sandifer and Wilkinson were instrumental in winning the second game of the day, and Sandifer's overall performance for the afternoon included a 5-7 day at the dish, two homers, a double, and five RBI.
What It Means
Fox is now 26-10 on the year with a four-game set left against Whitworth next weekend, improving its lead in second place on the NWC leaderboard and moving to 18-6 in conference play.
Up Next
Fox hosts Whitworth on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 15 & 16, as part of its Senior Weekend.
