TACOMA, Wash. – The Pacific softball team clinched a spot in the Northwest Conference Softball Tournament with a doubleheader sweep of the Puget Sound, which saw the Boxers top the Loggers 9-3 and 9-6 at Logger Field.
 
Rachel Roberts (Jr., Oregon City, Ore.) hit a grand slam and finished 3-3 at the plate in Pacific's game one victory, while Nalani Antonio (Jr., Kapolei, Hawaii) drove in two runs in a 3-4 outing in game two.
 
Marissa Reichard (Jr., Forest Grove, Ore.) earned her 13th win of the season and reached 150-career strikeouts in Sunday's opener. Game two saw Alyssa Burns (Fr., El Dorado Hills, Calif.) pick up her fifth collegiate victory in the circle for Pacific.
 
The Boxers travel to Newberg, Ore., on Saturday for a doubleheader with George Fox, with first pitch set for noon.
 
Game One: Pacific 9, Puget Sound 3
Roberts' grand slam highlighted Pacific's 13-hit 9-3 victory over Puget Sound in game one on Sunday.
 
Roberts opened the day with as ingle up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Hotaling (Jr., Oregon City, Ore.). Following a groundout, Roberts stole third and then scored on an error that allowed Kylee Oshiro () to reach base safely.
 
After Puget Sound wrapped up the top of the first defensively, Reichard sat down the Loggers in order in the bottom of the inning.
 
Megan Winans (Jr., Hood River, Ore.) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, before heading to third on a one-out single by Kiera Melton (Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.). A Reichard walk loaded the bases for Roberts, who notched Pacific's first grand slam of the season to right field.
 
The four runs off Roberts' one swing of the bat was all Pacific would get in the second, before returning to the scoreboard in the top of the fourth after Reichard opened the inning with a single up the middle.
 
Roberts would join Reichard on base with an infield single, before advancing to second when Reichard was caught stealing third. Kylee Yamamoto (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) tripled to plate Reichard, before Yamamoto scored on a single up the middle by Oshiro.
 
A three-run fifth inning for Puget Sound gave Pacific a 7-3 lead heading into the top of the sixth inning.
 
Hotaling led off the sixth for Pacific with a single to right and advanced to second on a one-out single by Oshiro. Ashley Mitchell (Jr., Redmond, Wash.) singled to center to plate Hotaling, while Oshiro was thrown out trying to score on the play. Pacific's final run of the game came when Mitchell scored on a single by Winans.
 
Game Two: Pacific 9, Puget Sound 6
Antonio drove in two runs on three hits, while Mitchell knocked in a pair in a 2-2 showing as Pacific topped the Loggers 9-6 in game two.
 
After one scoreless inning, the Loggers struck first in the second with a two-run inning and took a 2-0 lead into the top of the third inning.
 
The Loggers' lead was short-lived as Roberts singled to center with one out. Hotaling continued the inning for Pacific with an infield single, while Yamamoto drew a walk to load the bases for Oshiro.
 
A fielder's choice plated Roberts and kept the bases loaded until Mitchell doubled to center and scored Hotaling and Yamamoto. The Boxers notched a fourth run in the top of the third as Mitchell scored on a single by Antonio.
 
The top of the fourth saw the Boxers add two runs to the scoreline when Jordan Schmerbauch (So., Mililani, Hawaii) singled, before advancing to second an groundout and third on a wild pitch. Hotaling would plate Schmerbauch with an infield single.
 
Hotaling earned Pacific's second score of the inning with smart base running, advancing to second on a foul out, before stealing third and scoring on a Logger error to take a 6-2 lead.
 
Puget Sound responded with a run in the fourth, before Mitchell, Margaret Bachmeier (So., Newberg, Ore.), Antonio and Kaitlyn Shikada (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) delivered four-straight singles. Antonio's single would score Mitchell, while Shikada's would load the bases for Pacific. Bachmeier would score on a Schmerbauch groundout, before the inning finished on back-to-back foul outs.
 
Antonio led off the seventh with a double to center, and scored on an error to round out Pacific's scoring on the day. Puget Sound tallied three runs in the seventh, before Pacific closed the book on a Sunday sweep of the Loggers.