NEWBERG, Ore. — On a perfect spring day, the George Fox softball team began their last conference series with a doubleheader against Willamette. The Lady Bruins were able to claim victory for both games after a dominant first game (6-4) and a thrilling walk-off win in extra innings for the second (6-5). 

How It Happened - Game One
The game got off to a hot offensive start — especially for Willamette. In just the first two innings alone, they were able to put two on the board off of a home run, some singles, and a well-placed SAC bunt. Despite the Bearcats 2-0 lead, Fox remained confident in their offensive and waited for the right opportunity to strike. Luckily for them, that opportunity appeared in the bottom of the second. Grace Wilson was the first to get on base with a walk thanks to a well-disciplined at-bat, but she didn't stay there long; Mayala Noone smacked one out to center to help send Wilson sliding safely into second. After another walk — this time from Tinley Taylor — the bases were loaded for Corine Doran. On a 2-2 pitch, Doran barreled the ball for a moonshot over the left field wall for a grand slam that quickly gave the Lady Bruins their first advantage of the game, 4-0. 

The next few innings became a battle as GFU fought to keep their lead while Willamette struggled to take it back. However, it wasn't until the top of the fourth that the pressure reached its peak. The Bearcats were able to find gaps in the field off of some base hits, and before long, the game was tied 4-4. With runners still on, George Fox was able to get out of the inning without allowing any more Bearcat runs with Allison Heater leading the way in the circle. After a three-up-three down fifth inning from both teams, the offense began to thaw, and this time around, it was the Lady Bruins turning up the heat. 

This time around, Kayla Mashino started things off with a hard-hit single to the left side; it didn't take long before she was showing off her speed on the base path, and only a couple of plays later, she was able to sneak in a steal to second. With a runner in scoring position and two outs already on the board, the stress was on Taylor's shoulders when she stepped up to the plate, but she didn't seem to mind. With a driving swing, Taylor sent a shot down the right field line for a double that brought Mashino around to score. 

Even though Fox took the lead back, they were far from finished. With a first pitch swing, Doran squared the ball for a shot to the right field wall that was only inches away from going over; thanks to Doran's double, Taylor slid into home to add one more run to Fox's score. While the Bearcats attempted to rally back, they couldn't replicate their fourth-inning offense. With a dominant display of offense, George Fox took the first game 6-4. 

How It Happened - Game Two
Much like the first game, the second game began with a strong start from the Bearcats; in the first two innings, Willamette put up five runs after some walks and singles that gave them a big cushion. When the top of the third came around, pitcher Riley Pirkle was able to shut the Bearcats down to send the Bruins into the bottom of the third with high energy. After a Kiley Harris walk, she unfortunately got out after a Noone base hit, but Fox remained resilient. After realizing Willamette's defense wasn't on their toes, Mashino was able to lay down a beautiful bunt to not only reach first, but move Noone all the way over to third. All it took was a crucial SAC hit from Doran to bring Noone into score, 5-1. 
After another quick defensive inning in the fourth — thanks to a game-changing double play — with freshman Sarah Jacobs leading the way on the rubber, the Lady Bruins were soon putting the ball in motion again. Getting her first hit of the game was Bethany Wilkes with a solid single, before Cami Nakamura came in to pinch run. It didn't take long until Nakamura was on second after another Bruin basehit from Brooklyn Alejo. With a first pitch swing, Noone teed up a ball for a line drive to the right side, which helped send Nakamura home, 5-2. 

George Fox continued their lockdown defense in the top of the sixth, and it didn't take long until Wilson was standing on first after a walk in the bottom of the sixth. She was shortly sent to second however, after an Alejo hard hit single to center. With no outs on the board, the Lady Bruins had the perfect opportunity to make something happen, and they did just that. Harris laid down a strategic bunt down the line that put the pressure on Willamette's defense and made them overthrow the ball; that one error brought Wilson in to score while also moving Alejo to third. Noone hopped onto the bunt train in the very next at-bat, which helped load the bases. All it took was two walks — one from Mashino and the other from Taylor — to score Aejo as well as Harris to make it a tied ball game, 5-5. 

The field was tense as the Bruins and the Bearcats each tried to take the game. For GFU, pitcher Nicole Ledendecker made it hard for Willamette to get anything past the infield. With no offensive action in the seventh, the game was sent to extra innings. However, the Bearcats still couldn't find any holes in Fox's wall of a defense; with only a three pitch inning from Ledendecker, the Lady Bruins were sent to the bottom of the eighth with a chance to make something happen. 

Mashino was the first to cause chaos in the field; with a powerful hit to center, she recorded a single as the game-winning run. Once again, the pressure fell on Taylor as she stepped into the box. With one strike already on her, she tattooed the ball to deep center field, and Mashino took off immediately. While the Bearcats tried to relay the ball in, Mashino was too quick for them and came diving into home for a walk-off Bruin win, 6-5. 

Top Performances
Corine Doran had an incredible day on the field, especially in the first game. With five RBIs and three hits — including her grand slam in the second — Doran was an offensive weapon for GFU. Tinley Taylor was another reliable hitter for Fox and recorded two hits; defensively, Alison Heater was awarded the win, making her new record 6-5. In the second game, the hits were more spread apart, and three players recorded two hits: Makayla Noone, Kayla Mashino, and Brooklyn Alejo. For RBIs, Taylor led the team with two, which included her walk-off in the eighth. Nicole Ledendecker was awarded the win in game two where she had two strikeouts and didn't allow any runs in the three high-intensity innings she pitched; her new record is 10-4. 

What It Means
George Fox rises to 20-18 (14-12 NWC), while Willamette falls to 9-29 (6-20 NWC). 

Coach's Thoughts
"It was good to get these two games today," said Bruin head coach Nathan Ohta. "Senior weekend always has a little extra importance, and we also had the goal of locking up our spot in the conference tournament."

"The team came out with good energy today and picked up a couple of big wins."

What Happens Next 
The Lady Bruins will stay on their home field to continue and conclude their series against Willamette with a double header on Sunday, April 26. The first game is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am, and the second at 1:00 pm. After their games, George Fox will also be honoring their seniors before the team heads to the Northwest Conference Championship.