NEWBERG, Ore. — It was an eventful sunny day for the George Fox softball team as they began their conference play against a strong opponent in the No. 3-ranked Linfield. Game one ended with a Wildcat win (7-1), but after making some adjustments, the Lady Bruins came out on top in game two (10-2).  

How It Happened - Game 1
The first two innings were quick as Allison Heater and the Bruin defense put up a wall that the Wildcats, who entered the game ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Coaches Poll, couldn't get through. It wasn't until the third inning that Linfield was able to find some gaps in the field; once the 'Cats got going in the third, though, they continued their momentum; by the end of the fifth inning, Linfield held a 6-0 lead thanks to a four-run third inning. George Fox was able to temporarily put a stop to the Wildcats' offense, before Linfield scored again in the seventh, but were limited to only one run after a home run. 
 
Despite the 'Cats lead, the Lady Bruins were still putting in work on the offensive end. In the second, Tinley Taylor saw the ball for a solid double to left center. However it took until the bottom of the seventh for GFU to get on the board. With a first pitch swing, Kiley Harris sent the ball way over the right center wall to record her first of the day as well as the Bruins first run. Despite Harris' solid hit, George Fox was unable to replicate it and the Wildcats took the first game, 7-1. 

How It Happened - Game 2
After a quick Linfield run to begin the second game, the innings became defensive as both teams struggled to find their breakthrough. For the Bruins' defense, Nicole Lendecker was in the circle to make things even more difficult for the 'Cats. It took until the bottom of the third for GFU to get their bats going, but once they did, they were hot. Makayla Noone started off the rally with a well-placed bunt that not only landed her on first, but helped her sneak in a steal to second. From there, all it took was a well placed single from Doran to send Noone home and put George Fox on the board and tie the game, 1-1. 

While Linfield was able to gain the lead once again, but — unfortunately for them — it was short-lived, as Fox was far from finished. Bailey Hill was the first to get on base with a walk after battling with a 3-2 count and Sami Stadlander was sure to make the most of it; with a driving swing, Stadlander sent the ball over the center field wall for a two-run shot to give GFU the lead, 3-2. 

The Lady Bruins' defense continued to work and put up a quick one-two-three top of the fifth before they were back in action on the offensive end. This time around, Morgan Palmer started things off with a walk after practicing good discipline at the plate, and she didn't stay at first for long; after a wild pitch and a Linfield error, Palmer slid into third. Kiley Harris also recorded a walk and quickly stole second to put two GFU runners in scoring position for Emily Benavidez. With a go-ahead swing, Benavidez found a gap in center field to send Palmer home and advance Harris to third. Next up to bat was Taylor and with a smooth swing, she sent the ball flying over the right center wall for a three run RBI dinger, 7-2. 

George Fox once again put up a dominant defense before they finished things in the sixth. Doran struck out her bat and doubled to the right side to start things off before Kayla Mashino came in to pinch run for Doran. Next up was Palmer, who laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance Mashino into scoring position at third base; Harris recorded another walk before she speedily took second.

Benavidez continued to create chaos on the field with a wild play. The junior sent a ball to the third baseman, whose throw home deflected off of Palmer's helmet and flew into the net by third base. In the ensuing madness, Benavidez scampered to third while Mashino and Palmer scored. With a final Taylor sac fly, Benavidez was easily able to cross home plate to score. With that, the Lady Bruins took game two in six innings after a dominant display of offense, picking up their second win over a Top 10 team on the season, 10-2. 

Top Performances
In their first game, the Lady Bruins had three hits overall including a single from Corine Doran, a double from Tinley Taylor, and Kiley Harris with a homer. The second game brought more offensive action for the Bruins with Emily Benavidez leading the way in hits with three, while Makayla Noone and Doran had two apiece. Taylor had the most RBIs with four — thanks to her home run in the fifth; not far behind in RBIs was Sami Stadlander — who also recorded a homer — with two. Nicole Ledendecker took the win in game two to move to 3-0 on the year and ended with a total of five strikeouts. 

What It Means
Linfield is now 5-1 (1-1 NWC), while George Fox is 3-3 (1-1 NWC). 

Coach's Thought's
"We played with a lot of energy today," said Bruin head coach Nathan Ohta. "There are still some things we are working on early in the season, and room for us to keep improving as a team, but we did some really good things on the field today, and were rewarded with a quality win."

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will stay on their home field to continue their four game series against Linfield on Sunday, March 8. The first game is scheduled to start at 11:00 am and the second will be at 1:00 pm.