Boxers Complete Sweep of Bruins In Extra Innings
Results: Game 1 | Game 2
NEWBERG, Ore.—Pacific defeated George Fox 8-4 in the first game and 6-5 in an eight inning second game at Morse Field. Rylee Parke (Fr., Dufur, Ore.) picked up her sixth and seventh wins of the season, hit her first collegiate home run in the first game and drove in the winning run in the second game.
After a scoreless first inning of the first game, the Boxers (10-3, 6-2 NWC) broke it open scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Parke started the inning reaching on an error and Randee Layosa (Fr., Hanama'ulu, Hawaii) came in as her pinch runner. Jordan Mittelsdorf (Jr., Boardman, Ore.) followed with a single advancing Layosa to third base. A batter later, Jenna Stevens (Fr., Medford, Ore.) drove Layosa in on a sacrifice fly to right field. Stephanie Vanoudenhaegen (Sr., Cornelius, Ore.) singled and advanced Mittelsdorf to second. Becca Moen (Fr., Gresham, Ore.) drove in Mittelsdorf and Vanoudenhaegen on her double to left field to give the Boxers a 3-0 lead.
The third inning the Boxers went down in order, but Shelby Briske homered to help George Fox (5-9, 0-4 NWC) cut into the Pacific lead 3-1.
The Boxers responded with a four run fourth inning starting with Vanoudenhaegen's led-off bunt single. Moen advanced Vanoudenhaegen on a sacrifice and she would score on a fielding error that got Ashley Billingsley (Jr., Gresham, Ore.) safely to first. Brooke Toy (Sr., Drain, Ore.) would reach on a fielder's choice, but drove in Chelsey Chamberlain (Jr., Grants Pass, Ore.), who reached on a walk. Parke followed hitting her first career home run and driving the final two runs of the inning for Pacific.
Pacific added an insurance run in the top of the fifth. Vanoudenhaegen again led-off the inning with a bunt single and moved to third on a throwing error that got Moen safely to first. In the following play, Chamberlain grounded into a double play, but Vanoudenhaegen was able to sneak in and give Pacific the 8-1 lead.
George Fox did not go down without a fight, they rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to score three runs. Bethany Chriss started in the inning with a single and Becka Doyle was walked, both players were driven in by Kayla Ward's home run to make the score 8-4. Parke responded striking out two of the next three batters and got help from her defense to get the third out and claim the victory.
Over the course of the game, Parke struck out eight batters and walked just two en route to improving her season record to 6-0.
Mittelsdorf went 4 for 4 at the plate and scored a run, while Vanoudenhaegen was 4 for 5 from the plate and scored three runs.
The second game went into extra innings, a first of the season for Pacific. Both teams scored three runs in the first inning. Vanoudenhaegen again led-off the line-up with a single and scored on Moen's double in the next play. Chamberlain followed with a single to drive in Moen. Chamberlain would score the final run of the inning for Pacific on Tuey's ground out two batters later. George Fox issued a counter-attack scoring three runs on two hits and a walk in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 3-3.
Pacific regained the lead in the top of the second with two more runs. Madison Collura (Fr., Phoenix, Ariz.) started the inning with a single, but was picked off at first. Vanoudenhaegen was walked a batter later and advanced on a Moen single. Both Vanoudenhaegen and Moen scored on Chamberlain's double to right field to give the Boxers the 5-3 lead.
The Boxers held the Bruins in the bottom half of the inning, but could not add more runs in the top of the third despite collecting four hits. The Bruins tied in the game in the bottom of the third inning scoring two runs of their own on one hit and a Pacific error.
Through the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings the game remained knotted at 5-5. However, in the top of the eighth the Boxers were able to string together a rally and score a single run. Lauren Tuey (Jr., Redlands, Calif.) sent the ball up the middle for a single to start the inning and was advanced to second by Jenna Stevens' (Fr., Medford, Ore.) sacrifice bunt. Parke drove the ball to left center for a single and brought Tuey home to break the tie and put the Boxers up 6-5.
Bethany Doyle started the inning for the Bruins getting walked and then was advanced to third on sacrifices, but the Boxers were able to hold her at third and get the final out of the game and claim the second victory of the day.
Three pitchers saw time in the game for the Boxers. Shannon Miller (Fr., Vancouver, Wash.) started the game and pitched the first two innings before being relieved by Danielle Ashcraft (Fr., Sandy, Ore.). Ashcraft pitched 2.2 innings and struck out four batters and did not issue a walk. Parke came in for 2.1 innings and gave up no hits or walks, while striking out three and gaining the win. Miller was forced to return to the game for the final inning after a substitution error by Pacific, but was able to finish it off and collect the save. Miller had four strike outs, issued four walks and picked up her first save of the season.
Moen led the Boxers going 3 for 4 from the plate and scoring two runs, Collura was 2 for 2 and Chamberlain collected three RBIs.
Pacific will travel to Tacoma, Wash. next weekend to play Puget Sound on Saturday and Pacific Lutheran on Sunday. Both games are scheduled to start at noon.
