The No. 25 Pacific University softball team split a doubleheader with Pacific Lutheran, losing game one - 12-8 and winning game two 6-4 at Sherman-Larkins Stadium in Forest Grove.
The first game of the twinbill saw the two teams combine for 27 hits and just one scoreless inning. The Boxers had 13 hits including three from
Hailey Miller, who also had three RBI in the loss. Pacific had managed to comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the first, scoring three in its half of the opening inning for an early lead.
Montana Vaught, Katelyn Macatis-Smith and
Taylor Nishimura each had two hits and
Kaitlynn Donaca scored three runs in the loss. Another one of the positives for the Boxers in the game was the effort of reliever
Carly Bursch, who pitched the final 4.2 innings. The freshman allowed three hits and an unearned run.
Pacific Lutheran came back with a four-run second inning en route to the first game victory. Six-different players for the Lutes had multiple hits including a three-hit effort from Kathryn Hatlen; plus, Erin McGrath had three RBI.
The Lutes scored four runs with two outs to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the second inning for the win. They added five more runs on five hits in the third inning to take an 11-4 lead en route to the 12-8 win.
The nightcap saw Pacific score two runs in three-different innings – the first, second and fourth en route to a 6-4 win.
Kaitlynn Donaca,
Montana Vaught and
Jill Uyeda each had two hits, plus Vaught added two RBI as
Morgan Masters pitched a complete game for the Boxers. Masters raised her record to 6-1, allowing 12 hits, four runs (all earned) and struck out four.
The Lutes got two hits each from Anna Overland, Kennedy Robillard and Erin McGrath in the loss.
A RBI double by Vaught and a RBI single by Uyeda in the bottom of the first put Pacific ahead by a 2-0 margin. The offense continued in the second inning as they plated two more in the second inning.
The Lutes managed to cut into the lead, scoring twice in the fourth before the Boxers had its third two-run inning in its half of the inning. Donaca drove in a run on a RBI groundout and Vaught picked up her second RBI with a single that put Pacific ahead 6-2. The Lutes stranded the bases loaded in the sixth before scoring two more runs in the seventh.
The series wraps up on Sunday with a doubleheader at noon.
