Box Score, Gm. 1
Box Score, Gm. 1
FOREST GROVE – The Pacific softball team finally emerged from the toughest part of its schedule after eight straight games against teams currently in playoff position, ending a nine-game losing streak with a doubleheader sweep over Puget Sound.
Chelsey Chamberlain (Sr., Grants Pass, Ore.) and
Chloe Hanson (Fr., Trail, Ore.) combined on a 3-hit shutout in a 4-0 Boxer victory in game one. The second game ended early when the Boxers scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, walking off with a 10-2 victory and season sweep of the Loggers.
With the wins, Pacific moved to 8-14 in the Northwest Conference and 10-20 overall. Puget Sound, which ended a 21-game losing streak on Friday with a 10-5 win over Lewis & Clark, dropped to 3-20 in the NWC and 3-26 overall.
Chamberlain (5-7) started in the circle in game one and pitched five innings of two-hit ball with no walks and two strikeouts. The senior slugger helped her own cause with a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning, a shot halfway up the protective netting beyond the left field fence to cap Pacific's scoring effort. Chamberlain also walked and scored on a two-run single by
Jordan Mittelsdorf (Sr., Boardman, Ore.) that put Pacific on the board in the third inning.
The Boxers added a run in the fourth when
Kaylene Sudbeck (Fr., Caldwell, Idaho) led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Kaitlyn Shikada (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) and scored on a
Becca Moen (So., Gresham, Ore.) base hit.
Mittelsdorf and Moen each had two hits, while
Ashley Billingsley (Sr., Gresham, Ore.) had three productive at bats with a double, walk and a sacrifice. The Boxers had three successful sacrifices helping set up three of their four runs.
Nikki King (Fr., Medical Lake, Wash.) also had a bunt single in a sacrifice situation. King went 1 for 2 with a walk, adding a nice diving catch in left field for the first out in the second inning.
Puget Sound pitcher Elayna Van Hess (2-13) went the distance, allowing nine Pacific hits and four earned runs with three strikeouts and four walks.
Hanson came on in relief to pitch the final two innings in the game one win, then was back in the circle to start game two. Limited all year long by back trouble, Hanson had been unable to pitch more than an inning or two at a time until the previous evening, when she pitched into the fourth inning in a start against Pacific Lutheran. On Saturday, Hanson was in fine form, settling down after a rocky first inning to retire 14 of the last 15 batters she faced in a five-inning complete game victory. The rookie right hander walked just one batter, allowing one earned run on three hits.
“I was thrilled with Chloe,” said head coach Tim Hill. “We haven't had her all year. It just shows what we've been missing. I think the warmer weather helped her.”
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Boxers came right back to take the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Mittelsdorf smacked a double into the left field corner to score two runs. After Billingsley was hit by a pitch, King followed with a double that dropped between the Puget Sound left fielder and center fielder to put two more on the board.
Pacific got contributions from the top to the bottom of the lineup in game two as all nine batters in the order had at least one hit and one run.
Moen led off the second inning with a double and scored on Chamberlain's base hit up the middle to make it 5-2 Pacific. Billingsley started the fifth-inning rally with a leadoff single. After pinch runner
Jenn Yano (Fr., Ontario, Ore.) was forced out at second, the Boxers ended the game with five consecutive singles. Shikada drove in King with a hard ground ball just under the glove of shortstop Joleen Monfiletto for a base hit. After Moen loaded the bases with a grounder through the hole on the right side, Stevens ripped a shot to left field that skipped off the glove of Megan Janes, clearing the bases and sending the Boxer shortstop to second base. Chamberlain ended the game by banging another single through the left side as Stevens scored well ahead of the throw home.
Moen reached base all four times, going 2 for 2 with two runs scored. Mittelsdorf, Stevens and King all had two RBI and a run scored.
Puget Sound scored its first run on an error in right field, when Aryn Grouse's single caromed off the glove of
Kiera Melton (Fr., Pleasanton, Calif.), allowing Jenica Holt to score from second base. After a Chrissy Atterson single put runners at first and third, Amy Schmeckpepper dropped a well-placed squeeze bunt to score Grause.
The Loggers had three hits in each game of the doubleheader. Schmeckpepper went 2 for 3 at the plate in game one. Grause was the only Logger to reach base after the first inning of game two, drawing a two-out walk in the third inning before Atterson grounded harmlessly to first base to end the frame.
Puget Sound hit only four balls out of the infield in seven innings combined against Hanson, who got 13 groundouts out of 15 outs in game two.
Jenna Stevens handled six chances at shortstop without an error.
“Our entire infield played well,” said Hill. “Lauren [Tuey] went to second base and had a really good day. She made a couple really good plays on bunts. Jenna prevented a number of hits going to her right back in the hole.
“Our defense was good and our hitting was a little more timely.”
Pacific ended up with 11 hits in 22 at bats in game two. Aryn Grouse (0-8) took the loss, with ten of the safeties coming in her 4 1/3 innings. Grause walked four batters with one strikeout. Monfiletto pitched to one batter in relief, giving up the game-ending single to Chamberlain.
The Boxers return to action with make-up games at George Fox on Wednesday, as Saturday's rained out doubleheader has been rescheduled for a 2:30 start on Apr. 11. The following Saturday will be senior day when Pacific hosts Lewis & Clark for a noon doubleheader on Apr. 14.
