NWC Softball: Bruins Lose to Lutes Under Linfield Lights Twice

George Fox (6-28, NWC 4-22) concludes its season Sunday, hosting the University of Puget Sound in a conference twinbill at noon.

Pacific Lutheran University Lutes Softball Photo: Kevin Hays

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - In a pair of games that were moved up a day due to expected wet weekend weather and shifted to Linfield College’s lighted field, the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes swept the George Fox University Bruins 3-1 and 13-4 in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader here Friday night.

In the first game, George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd when Ashley Olson doubled off the fence in left, was sacrificed to third, and scored on an error at short.

Pacific Lutheran tied it with an unearned run in the 4th as Carly Starke singled and went all the way to third when the ball was mishandled in left, then scored on Theresa Tauscher’s single to right-center.

After the Bruins stranded the go-ahead runs on second and third in the 6th, the Lutes broke through in the 7th for the winning runs.

Pinch-hitter Ashley Lopez and Karen Henjum drew leadoff walks from Bruin ace Kayla Winkler (4-16), and Vanessa Bryant tried to move them along with a sacrifice.

Winkler bounced the throw to first, however, allowing Lopez to score, Henjum to reach third, and Bryant to reach first.

Heather Walling lined an apparent hit to left, only to lose it when Bryant was forced at second, but Henjum scored from third for an unearned insurance run.

Hadley Schmitt (8-9) went the distance for the Lutes, scattering four hits while striking out four and walking two.

Winkler took the tough-luck loss for the Bruins, allowing only five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

PLU got on the board first in the second game with a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd.

Missy Waldron singled up the middle to lead off, advanced on a ground out and a wild pitch, and scored on Carly Starke’s single up the middle.

Cassie Canales singled Starke to third, and a wild pitch let in the second run.

The Bruins tied it in the home half.

Winkler led off with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice and a single to left by Torey Weatherman.

Winkler scored when Weatherman stole second and the catcher’s throw bounced into center field.

After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Haley Harnish-Stadden hit a grounder to short, and the throw home was dropped, allowing Weatherman to score an unearned run.

The Lutes took the lead for good with three in the 4th, Tauscher singling in the go-ahead run and later scoring on one of 10 wild pitches by Bruin hurlers, and the last run scoring on a ground out to second by Waldron.

A six-run 5th, featuring a two-run single by Bryant and a two-run double by Beth Kenck, gave the Lutes an insurmountable 11-2 lead.

Olson doubled and Harnish-Stadden hit her first home run of the season to right field with two out in the bottom of the 6th to keep the game going for the Bruins for another inning.

The Lutes added two more in the 6th on another RBI single by Tauscher and a run-scoring double by Lisa Gilbert, then held the Bruins scoreless to end the game by the college eight-run rule.

Ashley Lopez (1-0), who came on in relief of starter Canales with one out in the 3rd, got the win, working 3.2 innings while allowing two hits and two runs with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.

Weatherman (1-8) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and nine runs, six earned, in 4.1 innings. She fanned two and walked one.

George Fox (6-28, NWC 4-22) concludes its season Sunday, hosting the University of Puget Sound in a conference twinbill at noon.

Pacific Lutheran (14-15, NWC 8-14) visits Lewis & Clark College Sunday for an NWC pair, also at noon.

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