NEWBERG, Ore. – The George Fox softball team needed one win over Lewis & Clark to play the Northwest Conference Tournament in the final game of the regular season, but unfortunately, the Bruins lost the first game, 1-5, and the second 2-10, to end their year.
How It Happened – Game One
Lewis & Clark had a strong start with three runs in the top of the first inning, and slowly advanced on that lead, taking a 5-0 lead after five innings. The Bruin bats struggled to get going, as Fox netted just two hits in the first six frames.
The Bruins made a last-inning push, with
Sharon Tomei reaching base on a single, then scoring on a run off the bat from
Nicole Campa to cut the score to 1-5. The two-out rally was short-lived, however, with the Bruins going down on the next batter to lose the game.
How It Happened – Game Two
Fox started with two outs in the first three batters, but a massive Pio rally started with a three-run shot. From there, Lewis & Clark left the Bruins in the dust as they started the first inning out with a monstrous eight runs, including seven unearned.
The Pios increased their lead with two runs in the third to make the score 10-0, but George Fox made an effort to close the distance as
Kamryn Potter and then scored in the bottom of the third on a Campa RBI groundout. The fourth inning was another scoreless period, with Potter scoring another run in the bottom of the fifth — this time on a
Tinley Taylor sac fly. Though the Bruins managed the Potter run in the fifth, they couldn't get closer, losing their final game via run rule, 2-10.
Top Performers
Kamryn Potter scored two runs in the second game and led the team with three hits on the day, while
Sharon Tomei scored one run in the first.
Nicole Campa finished with one RBI in each game.
What It Means
The Bruins finish their year with a 19-21 record (12-16 NWC), while Lewis & Clark enters the NWC Tournament with a 26-14 (20-8 NWC) mark.
What Comes Next
For the first time since 2014, the Bruins failed to qualify for the NWC Tournament. The team will reload and be ready for another successful season in 2025.
