The Pacific University softball team split a doubleheader with host George Fox in Newberg on Saturday. The Bruins took game one by a 7-6 margin before the Boxers came back with a 5-4 win in game two.
In game one, Pacific scored three runs in the top of the first but George Fox came back with two runs in the second, third and fifth and a decisive run in the sixth.
Boxers' sophomore
Nicole Martinez led a 10-hit attack with three hits from her leadoff position and junior Katelyn Macatis-Smith also had two hits and was one of five Boxers with a RBI in the loss. Sophomores
Montana Vaught scored two hits and
Hailey Miller hit a solo home run in the third inning for Pacific.
The Bruins had 13 hits including three from Savannah Vargas to pace the attack. Four teammates – Alliison Meyer, Aaliyah Kautz, Claire Fountain and Alisa Yabumoto – each had two.
Both teams used three pitchers in the contest. The Boxers'
Carly Bursch, who was the second pitcher of the day, went 1.1 innings, allowing two hits in the loss to fall to 2-1. The Bruins' Sarah Storton came into the game with two out in the top of the first, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing five hits, two runs (both earned) in the win to improve to 2-0. Winter Ridgeway pitched the seventh for the save, allowing two hits, a run (earned).
The nightcap, like game one, was a back and forth contest. Both teams scored a run each in the first and fourth inning to tie the game at 2. Then, Pacific went ahead in the fifth on a
Jill Uyeda RBI single before the Bruins tied it in the sixth on a RBI single.
With the game tied at 3 in the seventh, Martinez led off the inning with an infield single. Then,
Kaitlynn Donaca reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Then, after a fly out, Miller singled to right field and Martinez hustled in from second and got just under the tag to put Pacific ahead 4-3. Next, Pacific picked up a crucial insurance run with one out on a sacrifice fly by Uyeda to stretch the margin to 5-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bruins led off the inning with a double to right center. Then, following back-to-back fly outs, the Bruins managed to get runners on the corners before a RBI single by Meyer cut the Pacific lead to one. Next, Boxers' starter
Rylee Patton ended the game, getting a foul out to secure the Pacific win.
In game two,
Hailey Miller had three hits to lead a 10-hit effort from Pacific; plus,
Kiana Kushiyama and
Nicole Martinez each had two hits. Miller also had two RBI to go along with her three hits. Patton got the complete game win, allowing nine hits and striking out four to raise her record to 4-2.
The Bruins' starter Winter Ridgeway allowed ten hits, five runs (four earned) in the loss to fall to 6-4. Kimi Ito, Savannah Vargas and Alisa Yabumoto each had two hits to lead a nine-hit effort for George Fox.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Sunday with a doubleheader at noon.
