Pitching Comes Through In Doubleheader Sweep Of Pirates

Pitching Comes Through In Doubleheader Sweep Of Pirates

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Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

FOREST GROVE – After living off their offense in their first 10 games, Pacific lived on solid pitching Friday to pick up a pair of Northwest Conference softball victories from Whitworth at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
 
In the opener, Allie Sims (Fr., Puyallup, Wash.) finished one out away from a no-hitter and threw a gem to hand the Pirates their first NWC loss of the season as she led the Boxers to a 2-0 victory.  In the nightcap, Sara Aasness (Sr., Kirkland, Wash.) put together a complete-game four-hitter as Pacific swept the twinbill with a 5-1 victory.
 
With the win, Pacific improved to 10-2 overall, 4-1 NWC.  Whitworth saw a seven-game win streak come to an end as they fell to 14-5, 7-2 NWC.
 
GAME 1: PACIFIC 2, WHITWORTH 0
Sims improved to 6-0 on the season and ended the Pirates' seven-game NWC win streak, but it was not your conventional one-hitter.
 
Whitworth loaded the bases against Sims as Julia Johnson and Peyton McMahon led off with walks and advanced 90 more feet when Lyss Martinez was hit by a pitch with two outs.  Alyssa Hall then hit into a fielder's choice and the out at home got the Boxers safely out of the inning.
 
Pacific finally put the first run on the board in the fourth thanks to a pair of Whitworth errors.  Rachel Roberts (So., Oregon City, Ore.) struck out to start the frame, but reached on a wild pitch and then advanced to second when the throw to put her out at first went wide.  She later scored on Kylee Oshiro's (Jr., Aiea, Hawaii) sacrifice fly.
 
Ashley Mitchell (So., Redmond, Wash.) opened the fifth with a single down the left field line, advanced to second on Kaitlyn Shikada's (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii) single and to third on a fielder's choice.  She added the insurance for the Boxers when she scored on Becca Moen's (Sr., Gresham, Ore.) steal of second base.
 
The Pirates ended Sims' no-hit bid in the seventh when Megan John blooped a two-out single to right center field.
 
Sims posted her best outing of the season for the Boxers, allowing the one hit and two walks while striking out three.  Madi Perez took the loss for the Pirates, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with six strikeouts.
 
GAME 2: PACIFIC 5, WHITWORTH 1
Pacific got the offense going early to take the lead in the second game.  Moen led off the first with a walk and Roberts followed with a single down the left field line.  After a double steal, Mitchell brought both home with a triple.
 
Whitworth had their first real opportunity to score on Aasness in the fourth, putting two runners on with one out.  The defense helped their hurler out as pinch-runner Brittany Connor was put out trying to steal third before Aasness coaxed Megan John into a pop out to end the threat.
 
The Pirates finally scored their first run of the twinbill in the sixth.  Taylor Gilbert singled through the left side with two outs and pinch runner Caylan Haehl scored on a single by John.
 
Pacific broke the close game open in the sixth.  Moen and Roberts singled to leadoff the frame and both scored on Oshiro's triple to right center field.  Oshiro then scored on a wild pitch. Bailey Kasler led off the Whitworth seventh inning with a single and advanced to third on a pair of groundouts, but Martinez popped out to end the game.
 
Aasness also had her best outing of the season to improve to 4-1 on the year, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.  Makalya Lefever took the loss for Whitworth, allowing five runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings.  Roberts went 2 for 3 to lead the Boxers, while four Whitworth players had each of their hits.
 
The two teams will complete their four-game NWC series with a doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch has been moved up 90 minutes and is now scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
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