McMINVILLE, Ore. -- The Bruins beat the Pioneers in their first game, drop their second to Linfield in day one of the Northwest Conference softball tournament. 

How It Happened - Game 1
The Bruins played their first game against Lewis and Clark for the first time in an eight-game span, taking down the Pioneers 3-1. Maggie O'Leary got the nod in the circle for the Pioneers to start the day, going 1-2-3 as she sat down Sharon Tomei, Makayla Noone, and Brooke Riggins in order. Nicole Ledendecker returned the favor, forcing three groundouts to make the score 0-0 after the first inning. 

O'Leary mirrored her first inning, sitting the Bruins down in order yet again in the top of the second. In the bottom of the inning, Makena Dahir led off with a single to left field, but Ledendecker stayed strong, forcing two flyouts and a groundout to end the inning. After the Bruins went 1-2-3 yet again in the third, the Pios moved the needle offensively in the bottom of the inning. Three walks by Ledendecker loaded the bases for the Pioneers with two outs, but the freshman got out of the inning after Dahir flew out to left field, keeping the score at 0 apiece. 

It seemed as though the Pios had all the momentum, but they had to face Tomei at the top of the fourth inning. A deep shot to left-center field ballooned over the fence and gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead. That home run was No. 20 of the year for Tomei, which is more than every single player on Lewis and Clark combined. One swing broke the career total bases for Tomei, making it the fifth George Fox record she has broken so far this season. Noone decided she wanted to get in on the action, taking the very next pitch from O'Leary yard to left field. Sydney Sandifer also got on base with a two-out walk, but couldn't find her way home as the Bruins took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth. 

Ledendecker took the run support and made quick work of the next three innings. She only needed six pitches to retire the Pios in the bottom of the fourth, four pitches in the fifth, and another six pitches in the sixth. This elite pitching eased the spirits of the Bruins and thwarted an immediate retaliation from Lewis and Clark. In the top of the fifth, the Bruins sent another run home thanks to an RBI double from Tinley Taylor. Grace Wilson got on base after a 10-pitch at-bat, and Kayla Mashino replaced her as a pitch runner. Mashino scored the very next pitch thanks to Taylor, giving the Bruins a three-run advantage. 

The Bruins had opportunities with runners on the bases in both the top of the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't take advantage and carried a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh. Down to their last three outs, the Pioneers got things going quickly. Sam Gildersleeve beat out a tight throw from Riggins at shortstop, placing her on first with no outs, but Ledendecker struck back with her first strikeout of the day. Harper Campenella moved Gildersleeve to second on a single and Caeleigh Rosenbach walked, loading the bases for the second time in the game. Emily Patton sent a runner home on a groundout to third, leaving the Pios down to their last out. A simple pop-up to shortstop got Ledendecker out of the inning, and the Bruins secured a spot in the conference semi-final. 

Game 2
After taking nearly a three hour break following their first game, the Bruins dropped game two to the Linfield Wildcats 6-0 in a shutout performance by Linfield's Tyler McNeley. Three flyouts from Tomei, Noone, and Riggins sat the Bruins down in order in the top of the first, as McNeley managed to sit down the top of the order. 

The Linfield bats came out swinging in the bottom of the inning, puting up three runs immediately. Meara Sain and Kaili Saathoff got runners on the basepads early, both hitting singles to land on first and second. Brynn Nelson followed shortly after with an RBI single of her own, advancing to second on the throw. Two back to back sacrifice fly's gave the Wildcats two more runs, but a stellar grab by Riggins at shortstop ended the scoring for the inning. After one, the Wilcats held a 3-0 lead. 

McNeley struck out Kylie Harris to start the top of the second, sending Sandifer up to bat. A deep fly ball to right center field appeared to be heading over the fence, but a reaching glove of Tiani Waiton doomed one of the Bruins' best chances to get runs on the board. Bethany Wilkes worked a one out walk, but the inning ended on a Nicole Campa strikeout. Ledendecker, who got the start in game two, pitched a scoreless second to stop the bleeding a bit. Wayton walked, but no other damage was done as the score remained 3-0 heading into the third. 

Tomei was the bright spot for the Bruins in the top of the third, working a two-out single to give the Bruins their first hit of the day. She was left stranded, though, after Noone hit one just short of the warning track for out No. 3. Linfield added another insurance run in the third, making the score 4-0 after a no-doubter by Claire Seats. Home run No. 19 of the year moved the Wildcat center fielder to number 2 in the nation in home runs, now only one behind NCAA-leading Tomei. 

The Bruins went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, and the Wildcats scored their final two runs thanks to a two-run shot by Sain. Fox managed to get the bases loaded with a two-out rally in the fifth, but couldn't quite convert. A pop out by Wilkes and a groundout by Campa started the inning, but back to back singles by Wilson and Taylor got runners on first and second. This flipped the lineup back to the top of the order, with Tomei awaiting the opportunity to get the Bruins back in the game. All four pitches were nowhere near the strikezone, and Tomei trotted her way to first. A shallow fly out by Noone ended the inning, stranding three runners in the Bruins' best chance of the evening. 

Only two more base runners wer recorded from then on out from either side. Linfields' Nelson walked in the bottom of the fifth before three straight putouts, and Harris had a one-out single in the top of the sixth for the Bruins. The rest of the evening was quiet as Allison Heater pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the Bruins. McNeley stayed dominant in the circle and kept the Bruins at bay, finishing the game with a complete-game shutout. 

Top Performers
Tomei and Noone both went 1-3 with a home run in game 1, and Taylor got on base twice with an RBI double and a single. Ledendecker was the star of the show in game one, though, pitching a complete game and allowing one run on three hits. In game two, Tomei went 1-2 with a walk and a single, and Heater had no hits, no runs, and two strikeouts to keep the Wildcats at bay. 

Coach's Thoughts
"It was good to come out and get that first one, and we've put ourselves in a good position to keep our season going," said Bruins head coach Nathan Ohta. "We'll use tomorrow to make a few adjustments, and come ready to go again on Sunday."

Why It Matters
The loss to Linfield means that the Bruins are one loss away from packing their bags and heading back to Newberg. Since Lewis and Clark won the elimination game, the Bruins will have a rematch agains the Pios first thing on Sunday, May 11th. Not only is there a conference tournament title on the line, but there's a NCAA automatic bid. The Bruins will have to beat the Pioneers and then take two against the Wildcats in order to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. The first game on Sunday between the Pioneers and Bruins also has NCAA tournament implications, as the winner of that game has a slim chance of receiving an at-large bid to the tournament. 

What Happens Next
The Bruins face the Lewis and Clark Pioneers Sunday, May 11th, at 11:00. The game is going to be played at No. 1 seeded Linfield. Tune into the Bruins radio broadcast and other gameday information located on the Bruins athletic website.