Boxers Eliminated In NWC Tourney To End Season
Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Pacific softball team battled a tough 3-2 loss to Linfield in the first game of the Northwest Conference tournament, but couldn't find their groove in 7-0 loss to Pacific Lutheran to end the 2013 campaign.
Marissa Reichard (Fr., Forest Grove, Ore.) led the Boxers at the plate, going 2 for 6 on the day with an RBI.
Emmie Moser (Fr., Mt. Vernon, Wash.) was 1 for 2 with the Boxers only other RBI on the day.
The Boxers are back on the winning season track, finishing with a 21-19 overall record and they tied for third in the Northwest Conference. The Boxers were originally picked to finish sixth.
Game 1 – No. 7 Linfield 3, Pacific 2
The Boxers were on the board early against the No. 7 ranked Wildcats in the first inning. With one out,
Rachel Roberts (Fr., Oregon City, Ore.) hit a triple into right center. Roberts scored on Reichard's single to right field to take a 1-0 lead.
Linfield responded in the bottom of the first with a run to tie the game up. Grace Mittelstadt drew a walk off Boxers' starter Reichard. With two outs, she scored on Lisa Yamamoto's dribbler to Reichard, but was bobbled and over thrown to first base.
Moser put the Boxers ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning as Oshiro drew a walk to start the rally.
Megan Sigler (Fr., Cottonwood, Idaho) was put in to pinch run for Oshiro and scored off Moser's double to center field.
Linfield's Megan Wallo tied the game at 2-2 with a single to left field to score Katy Brosig. Karleigh Prestianni hit the winning run in with a double to right center to score Wallo.
Reichard and Moser led the Boxers with an RBI a piece. Reichard (9-5) suffered the hard fought loss in the circle, holding the powerhouse Wildcats to just six hits while striking out six and walking two. She allowed three runs, two earned in six innings of work. Korina Paavola collected the victory and improves her record to 20-2 on the season as she struck out 12 and allowed four hits.
Game 2 – Pacific Lutheran 7, Pacific 0
The Boxers had a hard time finding their groove in the second game as the Lutes were on the board first with a four-run first inning. The Lutes started off with a triple to center field and Amanda Hall double for two RBIs. The Lutes got to Boxers starter
Sara Aasness (Jr., Kirkland, Wash.) as Kaaren Hatlen blasted a shot over the left center wall to take a 4-0 lead.
The Boxers were not able to respond as they only tallied two hits on the game.
Becca Moen (Jr., Gresham, Ore.) had one of the Boxers' hits in the third inning, singling up the middle. Reichard punched an infield single in the sixth inning.
The Lutes scored three more runs off Boxer reliever
Shannon Miller (Jr., Vancouver, Wash.) in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Haley Harshaw and Harrelson scored on Hatlen's single to center field and Hall scored on a grounder to third.
Moen and Reichard collected the only hits for the Boxers. Reichard went 1 for 3 at the plate, while Moen went 1 for 2. Aasness (7-5) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing four runs on five hits while walking two in 1.1 innings of work. Miller allowed three runs on five hits while striking out three and
Jenn Yano (So., Ontario, Ore.) saw one inning for the Boxers allowing one hit. Leah Butters for the Lutes improved to 7-3 on the season with the victory in the circle.
Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth will meet tomorrow at 11 a.m. The winner will move onto play Linfield as they are undefeated in the tournament. The Wildcats beat Whitworth 12-0 in their second game to make it to the championship.
