FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Margaret Bachmeier and Megan Winans both hit home runs on Sunday as the Boxers dropped a pair of games to Pacific Lutheran at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
 
Bachmeier (So., Newberg, Ore.) homered in the opener as Boxers fell 7-6, while the Lutes topped Pacific 4-3 in game two despite Winan's (Jr., Hood River, Ore.) first home run of the season.
 
The Boxers head to Willamette on March 7 for a Northwest Conference doubleheader against the Bearcats, set to begin at noon.
 
Game One: Pacific Lutheran 7, Pacific 6
Jessica Hotaling (Jr., Oregon City, Ore.) and Kaitlyn Shikada (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) each finished with three hits in Pacific's game one loss to the visiting Lutes.
 
Pacific opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Rachel Roberts (Jr., Oregon City, Ore. ) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a single through the left side from Hotaling. An error and a late throw during Quirena Natividad (Jr., Waipahu, Hawaii) plate appearance allowed Natividad to reach first, hoteling to advance to third and Roberts to score the first run of the afternoon.
 
Hotaling was the next Boxer to score when Ashley Mitchell (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) singled with one out to score Pacific's second run and move Natividad over to third. The Boxers executed on the base paths to earn their third run of the frame when the first-and-third scenario resulted in a stolen base for Mitchell, while Natividad scored on the throw from the Pacific Lutheran catcher.
 
After the final out of the first inning, Pacific Lutheran took to the plate, where Alison Behrends was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to second on a single from Kailyn Osaki.
 
An error allowed Behrends to score, but on the same play Roberts threw to the plate and allowed Kylee Oshiro (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii) to relay to third. Osaki was caught midway between second and third, before Shikada fired to Natividad, who tagged out Osaki for the second out of the inning. Hotaling induced a ground out from Thalen Masada to wrap-up the second inning.
 
A scoreless bottom of the second was followed by a two-run inning from the Lutes in the top of the third, before Kylee Yamamoto (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) doubled to lead off Pacific's half of the inning. Yamamoto remained on second for only four pitches before Mitchell doubled down the left field line to plate Yamamoto.
 
Two additional Pacific runs came with one swing of the bat as Bachmeier hammered a two-run home run to left field and gave Pacific a 6-3 lead.
 
Pacific's lead was short lived as Pacific Lutheran scored four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-3 lead over the home side.
 
Pacific threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Roberts and Hotaling reached third an second, respectively, with one out. A strikeout and foul out for the Boxers ended the frame with two left on base.
 
Pacific left a pair stranded in the bottom of the sixth before a scoreless seventh inning secured a game one victory for the Lutes.
 
Hotaling struck out one, while surrendering one earned run in five innings of work. Hotaling finished the afternoon with no decision in the opener.
 
Game Two: Pacific Lutheran 4, Pacific 3
Winans drove in a pair with a two-run homer in the seventh as the Boxers' late comeback fell short in a 4-3 game two loss to the Lutes.
 
After two perfect innings from starting pitcher Marissa Reichard (Jr., Forest Grove, Ore.), the Boxers saw a Lutes baserunner for the first time in the top of the third when an error allowed Jessica Wallace to reach safely.
 
Masada followed Wallace as she sliced a two-strike pitch down the right field line. Wallace managed to score, but Wallace's attempt at an inside-the-park home run was cut down as Roberts relayed Winan's throw from right to the plate, where Oshiro tagged out Masada.
 
Neither offense was able to plate a runner again until the top of the sixth when Crysti Snyder hit a two-run homer for the Lutes and gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.
 
The lead extended to four when Amanda Hartley scored on a sacrifice bunt in the top of the seventh.
 
The Boxers kept things interesting when Reichard led off the bottom of the frame with a single up the middle, a wild pitch then advanced Reichard to second base. Reichard was soon driven home as Winans launched a home run to left-center of a 2-2 pitch.
 
Bachmeier doubled with one out in a pinch-hit opportunity, before Shikada took Bachmeier's place on the base paths as a re-entry to the game. An infield single by Kiera Melton (Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.) put runners on the corners, until Roberts singled to shortstop to plate Shikada.
 
A ground out and a line out wrapped up the frame and the game as the Lutes escaped with a pair of one-run victories.
 
Reichard struck out a pair in 6.1 innings of work, while only giving up two earned runs.