FOREST GROVE, Ore. — After a split in their first day of competition, the George Fox softball team concluded their series 2-2 against Pacific with another split for day two. The Lady Bruins had a shutout victory for game one, but game two ended with a close 2-1 loss in a highly defensive game.  

How It Happened - Game 1
Things started off slow on the offensive end for both teams, but it gave an opportunity for each team to show off their defensive strength. For George Fox, Allison Heater was on the rubber making it difficult for Pacific to get their hits past the infield. 

After three scoreless innings, the top of the fourth brought some offensive action — especially for Fox. Sami Stadlander was the first to approach the plate and after four consecutive balls, she was awarded a walk; however, it didn't take long before she was sliding into second after a Boxer wild pitch. After two more well-disciplined walks for the Lady Bruins — thanks to Kylee Manibusan and Kiley Harris — the bases were loaded. All it took was yet another walk from Grace Wilson to send Stadlander home to put GFU first on the board, 1-0. 

The Lady Bruins were far from finished and with a hard hit single to center from Mia Cantu, all runners advanced, including Manibusan who reached home plate without any problems. In an unexpected Pacific error in the very same play, George Fox was able to take advantage of the situation; Harris was able to come around to score while Wilson and Cantu were placed in scoring position at third and second. 

Next up to the plate was Tinley Taylor and with a first pitch swing, she smacked it for an RBI single that brought Wilson in to score. With Cantu now at third, Taylor was able to sneak in a steal to second to put two runners in scoring position once again. Thanks to a Corine Doran solid single in the next at-bat, not only scored Cantu, but Taylor as well to increase Fox's lead to 6-0. 

After a quick defensive bottom of the fourth, the Bruins were back at it in the fifth. This time around, Emily Benavidez was the first to get on base after a well-deserved walk. However, a Manibusan single led to Benavidez getting out in the process. With second base now open, Manibusan was able to show off her speed on the base path and landed safely at second after a Boxer pass ball. Next up to the plate was Wilson, and after a solid single to center field, Manibusan's swiftness was able to help her come around to home to score, 7-0. 

George Fox only continued to dominate on the defensive end, especially after a double play in the bottom of the fifth that helped them get out of the inning unscathed. By the time the top of the sixth rolled around, it was clear that Fox wasn't going to let up their offensive hot streak any time soon. With two outs already down, George Fox remained relentless — especially Charlotte Brooke. After fighting off two foul balls with a 3-2 count, she was able to connect with the ball for a single before she speedily stole second; almost immediately after, a hard-hit from Stadlander allowed the two to trade places so Brooke could score. 

Benavidez hopped onto the base-hit train and with a solid single to the left side, Stadlander was able to cross home plate with ease. While Pacific tried to rally back, they couldn't get past GFU's wall of defense, leading to an impressive Lady Bruin 9-0 win. 

How It happened - Game 2
Unlike the first game, the second was highly defensive. This time around, the Boxers were able to earn the first runs and at the end of the first, they held a 2-0 lead. Over the course of the next few innings, there wasn't a single runner that was allowed to touch home plate; both teams put up such good defense that hardly any ball left the infield. For GFU, Heater was back in the circle, proving to be a powerful force that Pacific couldn't get past, even in game two. Despite the offensive drought, Fox was still able to put the ball in play and make the Boxers defense work. In the fourth, Doran smacked one out to center field for a double after battling with a 3-2 count and fouling off three balls. 

It took until the bottom of the sixth until George Fox was able to score thanks to Harris. With a driving swing, she was able to square up a first pitch strike and sent a moonshot over the wall for a solo homer to make the game a close, 2-1. Despite a Mashino single to put the tying run on base, the Lady Bruins could not get past Pacific's relentless defense. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Boxers were able to take game two after a low-scoring, highly defensive 2-1 win. 

Top Performances
In the first game, Fox had a total of seven hits and eight walks with many players showing off their offense, leading to a reliable and consistent line-up. For RBIs, Corine Doran and Grace Wilson led the way with two apiece. The Lady Bruins were also speedy on the base path and recorded four stolen bases with Charlotte Brooke having the most with two. 

Defensively, Allison Heater was awarded the shutout win, making her new record 5-5. In the second game, the Bruins offense slowed down and had a total of three hits — including Kiley Harris' homer in the sixth. In terms of pitching, Heater was also in the circle for game two; over the course of the two games, she pitched an incredible 11 innings and didn't allow any earned runs in both games. 

What It Means
George Fox is now 18-18 (12-12 NWC), while Pacific is 15-18 (10-13 NWC) after the series. 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will return to their home turf to go up against Willamette for their last conference series before the Northwest Conference Tournament. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25; first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm.