NEWBERG, Ore. — The George Fox softball team concluded their four game series against No.3-ranked Linfield with another pair of close games in their double header; while the Wildcats took game one, 6-4, the Lady Bruins came back and walked-off game two thanks to a Sami Stadtlander homer, 9-6. 

How It Happened - Game 1
The Wildcats were quick to get their bats going in the early stages of game one, with a couple well-placed hits and a homer giving them an early 2-0 lead. Despite their advantage, they were unable to do any further damage in the second because of the Lady Bruins' defense; with Riley Pirkle in the circle, GFU was able to get out of the bases-loaded situation. It wasn't until the fourth inning that George Fox began to find gaps in the field. 

After the 'Cats added two more runs to their score in the top of the fourth, Corine Doran came up to the plate for George Fox; with a well placed hit to the left side, Doran was on first in no time before Cami Nakamura came in to pinch run. Seeing an opportunity with a runner on base, Morgan Palmer was sure to make the most of it. She sent the ball over the center field wall for a two run homer that cut the score deficit in half and put GFU on the board, 4-2. 

In the fifth, both teams tried to find any holes in each other's defenses', and while Linfield was unsuccessful, the Lady Bruins definitely were not. Kiley Harris started the rally with a moonshot over the left center wall to add another run to GFU's score, but they didn't stop there. When Emily Benavidez stepped into the box, she decided to hop on the bandwagon, and with a 1-2 count, she hit a dinger over the left field's head to tie the game, 4-4. 

Despite all the pressure being on the Wildcats, their bats remained relentless in the top of the seventh; Linfield was able to find some gaps and after some strategic singles and sac-flies, they took the lead once more. Fox attempted to battle back with each hitter going deep in the count, but they were unable to repeat their success in the fifth, leading the 'Cats to take game one, 6-4. 

How It Happened - Game 2
In a change of pace, Fox was the first to get runs on the board; after a quick inning with Nicole Ledendecker in the circle, Makayla Noone started things off with a solid hit to the left side that — after a Linfield overthrow — landed her on second. However, Noone didn't stay there for long, with a sneaky steal to third putting her in scoring position as Doran stepped into the box. All it took was a single from Doran to send Noone home and give the Lady Bruins a 1-0 advantage. 

The game became defensive as George Fox worked to gain insurance runs and Linfield tried to equalize the score. It took until the fourth and fifth innings for the 'Cats to break through GFU's dominant defense; with three homers overall, the Wildcats took their first lead of the game (5-1), but little did they know, it wouldn't last for long. 

This time around, Alison Heater was on the rubber and George Fox's defense had a fast one-two-three top of the sixth before their bats came alive in bottom of the sixth. Benavidez continued to be a consistent hitter for Fox and with a solid hit to center, she reached first with no problems. Tinley Taylor was next up to bat, and with a driving swing, Tinley doubled down the right field line to send Benavidez to scoring position at third. With the pressure on, Stadtlander stepped into the box, ready to put the ball in motion; on a 2-2 pitch, Stadtlander squared the ball and sent the ball over the center field wall for a three run homer, 5-4. 

However, the Lady Bruins were far from done. Kayla Mashino singled on a 3-2 count and recorded her first hit of the game; next up was Grace Wilson who laid down a perfect SAC bunt to help Mashino advance to second. Despite two outs and a runner in scoring position, the pressure didn't seem to bother Doran at all as she smacked the ball to the right side for an RBI double, sending Mashino across home plate and tying the game once more, 5-5. 

It all came down to the seventh inning for both teams; Linfield was the first to hit and they made the most of it. With a strategic SAC bunt play, they were able to get one more on the board before Fox eventually shut their offense down, sending them to the bottom of the seventh, 6-5. Harris was first to find a gap in the Wildcat's defense and a shot to center field helped her earn a double and put her in scoring position. All it took was a strong hit single from Benavidez to send Harris home and tie the game, 6-6. Benavidez continued to create chaos in the field and found herself on third after a Linfield wild pitch. While Taylor was intentionally walked, that proved to be the 'Cats final error. Once again, it came down to Stadtlander. With a 2-1 count, she remained unfazed and with the next pitch, Stadtlander teed the ball up and shot it out of the park for a three run walk-off homer to win the game, 9-6. 

Top Performances
For game one, Emily Benavidez led George Fox in hits with two, while Morgan Palmer recorded two RBI's. The team had a total of three homers with Palmer Benavidez, and Kiley Harris had one apiece. As for game two, George Fox made an adjustment. Sami Stadlander had two runs and two crucial hits which included her game-saving homeruns; Stadtlander also recorded a total of six RBIs. Along with Stadlander, Taylor Tinley had three hits while Corine Doran and Benavidez had two each. Doran also contributed two RBI's. As for defense, Riley Pirkle was awarded the winning pitcher which gave her her first win of the season. 

What It Means
Linfield is now 6-2 (2-2 NWC) and George Fox is 4-4 (2-2 NWC) for the young season. Three of the Bruins' wins have come against Top 10 teams, with one against now-No. 7 Redlands and two over the Wildcats. 

Coach's Thoughts
"I'm proud of the effort our team gave today, and the resilience we showed," said Bruin head coach Nathan Ohta. "They got out in front of us, but we didn't quit. This team has a lot of fight, a lot of confidence, and those were a couple of gutsy performances."

What Happens Next
George Fox will head to Spokane, Wash. for their next double-header against Whitworth on Saturday, March 14; first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm.