NEWBERG, Ore. -- After a tough 5-17 loss in their first game, the hard-hitting George Fox softball fought back, winning game two, 6-5, thanks to four home runs — including a walk-off winner from Kiley Harris.

How It Happened -- Game One
To say that each game featured a good amount of home runs would be an understatement — after 17 homers the day prior, the Bruins and Wildcats combined for 14 on day two; those 31 homers were good for an average of 7.75 a game.

The first of 14 home runs on the day came from Makayla Noone, who blasted in dead center field to put the Bruins up, 1-0. The lead was short-lived, though, as Linfield countered with a home run of their own, a three-run shot to give the Wildcats the lead. Fox struggled to get runners on base, managing just one hit over the next three innings.

While the Bruins stayed with one run, Linfield extended their lead. The Wildcats scored 14 runs over the next three innings, including eight in the fourth inning to put the game to rest. Though the trailed big, Sharon Tomei notched a career moment; one day after setting the school's all-time home run record, the senior hit her 50th career home run on a grand slam in the fifth inning as Linfield won the game, 17-5.

How It Happened -- Game Two
Tomei kept swinging away, hitting her 51st career home run — and fifth of the series — on the first ball she saw to open up the game for Fox in game two. The first four innings of the game were a statistician's dream; though the score was 3-2 in favor of Linfield, all five runs were scored on five solo home runs. Tomei and Brooke Riggins had the bombs for Fox, as they hung with the number four team in the nation.

Despite giving up those three home runs, pitcher Nicole Ledendecker proved to be a problem for Linfield hitters. The Wildcats couldn't break through in either the fifth or sixth inning as the freshman stranded three baserunners, keeping the Bruins in the game.

Though GFU hit six homers on the day, they totaled just one double, but the lone double off the bat of Noone came at a clutch time. The sophomore's ball barely snuck fair on the left field line, putting her in scoring position — something she quickly took advantage of. The all-time leader in steals stole third base, before scoring off of a fielding error to knot the game. Two batters later, Nicole Campa throttled a ball into left field, scoring Riggins to give Fox a 5-3 lead.

The Bruins had a chance to get out of the game with three outs, but Linfield had other ideas, putting together a two-run two-out rally. Ledendecker nearly came down with the game-saving grab with the score 5-3, but her glove barely slipped out of her hands on a hard-hit ball, and the Wildcats stayed alive. Though Linfield tied the game, 5-5, the freshman struck out her final batter to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.

It would take just one batter to end the game: Kiley Harris. The sophomore waited for her pitch, and shot it to the scoreboard. The entire George Fox dugout erupted, swarming home plate as Harris made her way home. The 31st and final home run of the series gave the Bruins their third win over a top-10 opponent on the season, and led them to a series split with No. 4 Linfield. 

Final score: George Fox 6, Linfield 5.

Top Performers
Sharon Tomei tied the single-season all-time home run program record with two home runs in the two games, including a grand slam in game one. All five of the senior's hits over the weekend were home runs. In total, five players hit a home run on Sunday: Tomei (twice), Makayla Noone, Brooke Riggins, Nicole Campa, and Kiley Harris.

In the circle, Nicole Ledendecker picked up two wins against No. 4 Linfield; her Sunday performance saw four strikeouts in seven innings.

Coach's Thoughts
"We played with a lot of heart today and learned a lot about what we're capable of," Bruin head coach Nathan Ohta said, "Bouncing back from the game one loss to win game two showed a lot of resilience. We made big plays, and had great at-bats. We played some really good softball this weekend."

What It Means
The Bruins move to 23-13 (17-7 NWC) on the season, while the Wildcats sit at 31-5 (20-2 NWC) total. It's the first time that Linfield has split a conference series in three years, their last two-loss NWC weekend coming against PLU in April 2022. With the win, Fox has clinched at least a share of the three seed in the NWC Tournament.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will have one final hurrah at Morse, with the Lewis & Clark Pioneers coming to town. The doubleheader is scheduled for Friday, May 2, with the first pitch of game one coming at 3:00 p.m.