NEWBERG, Ore. -- On a beautiful Friday afternoon, the George Fox softball team faced-off Pacific Lutheran in a doubleheader to start their four-game series; the first game ended with a GFU 6-2 loss, but the Lady Bruins came back in game two to demolish the Lutes in only five innings after a pair of Sami Stadtlander homers, 13-4. 

How It Happened - Game One
The game began with a pitcher's battle in the first; with Nicole Ledendecker in the circle for George Fox, her and GFU's defense the Lutes couldn't get past. It wasn't until the second that Pacific Lutheran claimed the first run on the board and after a few walks, a steal, and a sac bunt, PLU took the first lead of the game, 1-0. Despite their advantage, they weren't able to replicate their offense in the third — especially with Allison Heater now on the rubber — which gave the Lady Bruins an opening to showcase their own offense. 

With two outs already down in the bottom of the third, Fox needed a rally to get their bats going and Kiley Harris was ready to bring one. After practicing good-discipline at the plate, Harris was awarded a walk before she snuck in a sneaky steal to place her at second. With a runner in scoring position, Sami Stadtlander was sure to make the most of it; all it took was a driving swing for Stadtlander to send a moonshot over the left center wall for a two-run dinger that gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. 

Despite GFU's lead, the Lutes remained persistent and were able to tie the game in the fourth with some singles hit in the gaps, 2-2. However, they didn't stop there; over the next innings, Pacific Lutheran continued their hot streak, especially in the fifth and the seventh. While their run was cut short in the sixth thanks to Heater and George Fox's defense, Pacific Lutheran ultimately took game one with a score of 6-2 — with Stadtlander's homer the only hit of the game for GFU.

How It Happened - Game Two
In a change of pace, George Fox was the first to put the ball in motion with the start of game two after a quick top of the first thanks to pitcher Riley Pirkle. Despite the two outs already on the board in the bottom of the first, Stadtlander remained unfazed when she came up to the plate; she squared up the ball and ripped it over the center field to record GFU's first — but certainly not their last — run of the game, 1-0. 

While Pacific Lutheran were able to time the game and more after putting three runs on the board, Fox was able to quickly shut down their small streak so the team could continue their own offensive run. Tinley Taylor started things off in the second with a solid single to the right side; it didn't take long before she was at second thanks to a Pirkle hit that caused chaos on the field. After an Emily Benavidez walk to load the bases, Grace Wilson was not only able to single down the infield line, but her hit allowed Taylor and Pirkle to score to tie the game, 3-3. 

However, the Lady Bruins were far from finished. Hailei Barney laid down a well-placed bunt to load the bases once again; after a Makayla Noone singled to the shortstop and Harris was hit by the pitch, two more runs were able to score and the bases remained loaded for Sami Stadtlander . With two home runs already recorded between the two games, Stadlander already had a great offensive day, but she was not done just yet; stepping up to the plate with nothing but confidence, Stadlander squared the ball on a 2-2 pitch and raked it over the right center wall for a grand slam. By the end of the second, George Fox put up an impressive eight runs to widen the gap in the score, 9-3. 

After a Lutes homer in the third, it took until the fifth that GFU's offense heated up once more. This time around, Stadlander singled to start off the inning before a well-hit Taylor single sent Stadtlander to second. All it took was a walk from Pirkle to load the bases for Benavidez; she was able to tattoo the ball and hit it down the right field line to bring in Stadlander and Taylor in to score. Almost immediately after, a hard hit from Wilson allowed Pirkle to slide safely into home plate to add another run to the board. Noone was able to end the inning with a shot to the right side that helped Benavidez score without any problems. While Pacific Lutheran tried to make a comeback, they couldn't get past the Lady Bruins' defense, leading for Fox to take game two in only five innings, 13-4. 

Top Performances
For the first game, Sami Stadtlander recorded the only hit for George Fox thanks to her homer in the third which helped her record two RBI's as well. The team also had a collective five walks with Kiley Harris having the most with two. Fox was able to make the adjustment on the offensive end in game two. Stadlander continued to be a consistent and powerful force for GFU and recorded three hits and five RBI's thanks to her solo homer and her grand slam. Behind Standlander in hits was Tinley Taylor, Grace Wilson, and Makayla Noone with two apiece; Wilson also had a total of three RBI's while Noone and Emily Benavidez had two each. Defensively, pitcher Riley Pirkle was awarded the win in game two, making her record now 4-5. 

What It Means
George Fox is now 10-12 (4-6 NWC), while Pacific Lutheran is 19-7 (11-3 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will be back in action on Saturday, April 4 to finish their series against the Lutes with a doubleheader on their home turf. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 pm while the second is at 2:00 pm.