VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The George Fox University softball team used dominant pitching and clutch late-inning offense to beat the No. 6 Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, 4-1. The win avenges a loss to the Marlins earlier in the Cross Bay Bash tournament, and is their second win against a ranked opponent in the tournament.

How It Happened
The Bruins got on the board first, after Tinley Taylor picked up a hit in the first at-bat of the game, then advanced to third after a hit-by-pitch and a fielder's choice before finally scoring after a sacrifice fly from the bat of Bethany Wilkes. The Marlins responded by loading up the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, putting starting pitcher Jordyn Relethford in a jam early. Relethford then forced a pop-up for a considerable out which ended the inning with the Bruins leading 1-0. 

The two teams traded scoreless frames until the fifth, as Relethford carried the Bruins through a pitcher's duel against the Marlins' Hannah Hearl. The Bruins broke the scoreless drought in the top of the fifth after Relethford picked up a hit, followed by a walk and then a Sharon Tomei RBI single up the middle. Relethford then shut down the Marlins in the bottom half forcing three putouts to send the game into the sixth inning with GFU up, 2-0.

While the Bruins had the lead in the sixth, the Marlins had been on the basepaths for most of the game, and against a top-ten team on their home field, no lead was safe. That is what made the two runs that the Bruins picked up in the sixth inning so important. With runners on second and third, center fielder Makayla Noone scorched a hard ground ball up the middle that scored both runners. 

The two runs brought the score to 4-0 heading into the bottom half, providing more insurance for the Bruins pitching staff. The Marlins put runners on first and second quickly in the home half of the sixth, and managed to score the runner from second with a two-out single, however, the Bruins shut down the inning with a putout a batter later, sending the game into the final inning with George Fox up, 4-1. 

The Bruins picked up a couple of hits in the top of the seventh, however, they were not able to score, sending the game into the home half of the seventh with the Marlins needing three runs to send it into extra innings. The Marlins got a runner on with a hit-by-pitch before GFU picked up their first out with a fielder's choice. The Marlins drew a walk to put runners on first and second with one out, and the tying run at the plate. Bruins relief pitcher Bailey Farrimond got a flyout to bring the Bruins one out away from pulling off the upset. Farrimond then struck out the final Marlins' batter looking to end the game and seal the 4-1 victory for the Bruins. 

Top Performances
Starting pitcher Jordyn Relethford threw five innings, giving up zero runs and picking up her fourth win of the year. Sharon Tomei went 2-4 from the plate with an RBI and Makayla Noone had one hit with two RBIs. 

Coach's Thoughts
We had a really good team effort today. Our pitchers managed a really good hitting lineup, and our defense was tight. We had some big 2 out swings and made really good adjustments to the different arms they threw at us. We are learning a lot about ourselves this trip and improving every time out.

What It Means
After pulling off the upset, the Bruins are now 5-4, with two wins against ranked opponents, and the Marlins are now 13-1, with the Bruins being their only loss of the season.

What Comes Next
The Bruins close out their East Coast trip with two more games against No. 7 Christopher Newport at Newport News, Va. Game one is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM PST on March 16th.