3/16/2008 - WHITWORTH 14-6, GEORGE FOX 3-4: Bruins Scare Pirates in 2nd Game but Lose Twice
Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2
NEWBERG, Ore. - With a two-run lead heading into final inning, the George Fox University Bruins saw their first win of the season slip away as the Whitworth University Pirates rallied for a 6-4 second-game win and a doubleheader sweep after taking the first game 14-3 in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon here at Morse Field.
The first game was all Pirates as they put up multiple runs in each of the first four innings of the five-inning contest. Jessie LaPlante slugged a three-run home run in the 1st inning to give Whitworth a 3-0 lead, and they made it 5-0 in the 2nd on a two-run shot by Lacey Parry. In a seven-run 3rd, Lacey Kerr had an RBI double, Josie Ball slugged the Pirates' fourth grand slam home run of the series, and Halley Cey had a two-run double.
The Bruins got on the scoreboard with three in the last of the 5th. With two out, Serena Lee walked and Amber Philliber doubled her home. Singles by Camille Jeffris and Kerstyn Tsuruda plated Philliber, and Jeffris scored on a passed ball.
Parry had three hits as the Pirates piled up 18 in all, while Cey, Morgan Thomsen, LaPlante, Ball, and Sara Rylaarsdam had two hits each. LaPlante scored three, drove in three, and got the pitching victory to improve to 3-5, striking out four with two walks and five hits allowed.
Jeffris had two of the Bruins' five hits. Starter Natalie White (0-9), who worked only one-plus innings, took the loss, with Torey Weatherman going the final four innings.
White was much more effective in the second game, getting into trouble but stranding runners in every inning. She went the distance but took the hard-luck loss to fall to 0-10 when the Pirates rallied in the 7th.
Parry singled, Thomsen walked, and Ball singled for a Pirate run in the top of the 1st, but the Bruins answered in the home half against Kelsey Ayers. Jeffris walked and advanced on a wild pitch, Tsuruda bunted for a single, and Kristen Griffith singled in Jeffris. Tsuruda was out trying to advance to third, but Ashley Olson doubled to score Griffith with the go-ahead run.
A double by Carrie Gibson and singles by Amber Fowler and Mandee Edwards tied the game in the 2nd, but the Bruins regained the lead in the 3rd. Griffith drew a one-out walk, Olson singled, and Shelby Riske reached on a throwing error by Parry at short as Griffith scored. After a walk to White filled the bases, Lee singled in Olson, knocking out Ayers in favor of LaPlante.
White made the Bruin lead stand until the final frame. Thomsen and Ball started the Pirates' winning rally with singles, and after a force out at second, Rachel Anderson singled in Thomsen to cut the gap to 4-3. Fowler singled to load the bases, and Edward tied the game with a single to score pinch-runner Caitlin Doherty. Cey then hit a two-run game-winning double to center.
The Bruins tried to rally in their last at bat as Griffith walked but was caught stealing after Olson had lined to right. Briske doubled to keep the George Fox hopes alive, but LaPlante (4-5) got White to pop to second for the final out.
Olson and Briske had two hits apiece for the Bruins. Cey had three hits and Ball, Fowler, and Edwards two each for the Pirates, who collected 13 in all.
George Fox, now 0-18-1 overall and 0-12 in the conference, is off for two weeks before hosting Lewis & Clark College Saturday, Mar. 29, in an NWC twinbill at 12:00 noon. Whitworth, 6-10 overall and 5-7 in the league, also takes a siesta until Monday, Mar. 24, when the Pirates meet La Sierra University at 1:00 p.m. and Wellesley College at 3:00 p.m. in the SunWest Tournament in Orange, Calif.