LA VERNE, Calif. — The George Fox softball team began their season with a dominant win (5-1) and a close loss (4-3) in their doubleheader season opener against La Verne.
How It Happened - Game One
It took some time for each team's bats to warm up, but once they did, they were hot — especially for the Lady Bruins. The second inning began with a single to left from Kylie Harris before
Tinley Taylor recorded another single for GFU — this one to right field — to move Harris in scoring position at third. Next up to the plate was Sami Stadlander, who whacked the ball out to center for an RBI double and brought in Harris to give George Fox the first run of the game, 1-0.
The game turned into a defensive battle as both teams looked to add to their score, but it wasn't until the fourth inning that GFU connected with the ball once more.
Kayla Mashino started things off with good discipline at the plate which earned her a walk; only moments later, Mashino slid into second base for a sneaky steal. After
Mia Cantu got to first after being hit,
Morgan Palmer approached the plate with runners in scoring position. With a powerful swing, Palmer sent the ball over the right field fence for a homerun that drove in Mashino and Cantu to widen the gap in score 4-0.
While La Verne was able to get one back in the fifth, the Lady Bruins were quick to answer back in the sixth.
Makayla Noone brought chaos to the field and — after a right side single — stole two bases off a La Verne error. With a grounder to second base, Corrine Doran recorded an RBI after Noone crossed home plate. While the Leopards tried to make a comeback, they couldn't break through the wall that was GFU's defense leading to a Bruin 6-1 win for game one.
How It Happened - Game Two
Much like the first game, the second began with quick defensive first innings before things heated up in the second. This time around, sophomore
Bethany Wilkes was there to help GFU get on the board with a barreled dinger to the right side, 1-0. The Lady Bruins lead was short-lived however, and the Leopards were quick to answer back with a run of their own to tie the game.
George Fox's offensive was far from done, and Doran started things off with a single to the left side and
Cami Nakamura came into pinch run; while Palmer lined out to shortstop, her hit allowed Nakamura to move into scoring position at second. Despite her last hit, Wilkes still had some juice in the tank and smacked the ball over the left field wall for another homer as well as two RBI's. La Verne wasn't going to allow a repeat from the game before and, once again, tied the game back up with a few well placed hits, 3-3.
Both teams continued to hit, but couldn't find holes in the defense for the next two innings. It all came down to the bottom of the seventh with the score still even; the Leopards found the gaps around the field and with one last single up the middle for a walk off, taking game two after a close battle, 4-3.
Top Performances
In the first game, many players for GFU had hits and the team had an overall total of six.
Morgan Palmer recorded the only home run of the game and earned three RBI's as well. Defensively,
Nicole Ledendecker was awarded the winning pitcher for the game. In game two, the Lady Bruins recorded more hits than the game before; this tim around,
Bethany Wilkes led the way with two home runs along with her 3 RBI's.
What It Means
George Fox is now 1-1, and La Verne is 3-5 for the young season.
What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will head to Redlands, Calif. for a doubleheader against #4 Redlands on Saturday, February 21. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 am.
