McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Through 42 games this season, the sixth-ranked Linfield Wildcats have just four losses. Two of them have come against the George Fox Bruins.

A sacrifice fly in the 10th inning gave the George Fox softball team a one-run lead, before Ashley Davis closed out the Linfield Wildcats to advance to the NWC Championship with a massive 3-2 win.

How It Happened
Facing off against one of the best pitchers in the nation in Tayah Kelley, the Bruins needed to get runs any way they could — entering the game, Kelley had a perfect 25-0 record on the year. After two 1-2-3 innings, Fox got on the board first with two runs in the third; the inning started with a Claire Fountain triple, which was driven in on a Kimberly Pulido sacrifice fly. In the next at-bat, Kamryn Potter laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Brooke Riggins for the Bruin's second run of the inning to give GFU a 3-0 lead.

After blanking PLU in Fox's last game, starting pitcher Ashley Davis had another shutout going into the final inning of the game, before the Wildcats managed to pull out two runs in the bottom half of the seventh with a two-out, two-run home run from Katrina Johns to tie the game and bring the Wildcats back from the brink of defeat. Davis managed to get the last out to send the game to extra innings. 

The Bruins were sent down in order in the eighth before Davis responded by retiring the Wildcats, pushing the game into the ninth inning. The ninth looked similar to the inning prior, with neither pitcher giving an inch as the score remained locked at two apiece heading into the tenth. 

In the tenth, the Bruins got the spark they desperately needed, as senior Mikaelie Sullivan led off the inning with a stand-up double to left field. The Bruins had Madelyn Loughary pinch run for Sullivan — and she was immediately moved to third after a successful bunt. Freshman Reagan Medina drew a full-count walk to put even more pressure on Kelley.

With a chance to take the lead, senior Kimberly Pulido hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Loughary and giving Fox a 3-2 lead. Once again, the Bruins were a half-inning away from victory. Davis forced a foul-out, then a fly-out, before striking out Linfield's Emma Podliska for the final out. Davis's strikeout sealed up a 3-2 Bruins win, sending Fox to their first conference championship since 2018. 

Top Performances
For the second day in a row, Ashley Davis threw a gem en route to a Bruins' victory, throwing ten innings and giving up just two runs on three hits and striking out two batters. Kimberly Pulido managed to pick up two RBIs, while Claire Fountain and Mikaelie Sullivan totaled extra-base hits for the Bruins — Sullivan's setting up the game-winning run.

Coach's Thoughts
Soon to come.

What It Means
With the win, the Bruins have punched their ticket to the NWC Championship, while the Wildcats will play again against the winner of the PLU vs. Whitworth game to determine the other championship participant.

What Comes Next
The first pitch for the Championship is at noon on Sunday, April 22nd. The Bruins will have two games to win one: with a win in the first game, Fox is NWC Champions. A loss in game one will trigger a final winner-take-all championship game immediately following the first game.