TACOMA, Wash. – After Saturday's games were postponed, the Whitworth softball team earned three wins over Puget Sound when play resumed on Sunday at Logger Field. Whitworth improves to 11-10 on the season, with an 8-7 mark in the Northwest Conference. Puget Sound falls to 0-15 overall, 0-11 in NWC action.
Senior Jamie Brunner sent two pitches over the wall in games one and two, while freshman Alyssa Martinez hit her first home run of the season in game three.
Game 1 – Whitworth 11, Puget Sound 2 (5 innings)
Whitworth took advantage of a Logger error to get junior Makenzie Hope to second base to open the first game of the weekend. Two batters later, senior Jamie Brunner grounded out, scoring Hope and putting the Bucs up 1-0 early. After a scoreless second inning, Puget Sound scored two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Whitworth answered with a big fourth inning. Jamie Brunner opened the inning with a solo home run to left field, then senior Heather Hesselgesser after a Logger error allowed sophomore Riley Fritz to reach first base. Freshman pinch runner Brittany Connor scored on a double from freshman Bailey Kasler. Fritz and Kasler both scored on a single from freshman M'Liss Powles to put the Pirates up 6-2 before the game had to be postponed due to weather.
The Pirates picked up where they left off when play resumed on Sunday, as junior Caylan Haehl, M'Liss Powles, Brunner and Hesselgesser all scored in the fourth inning. The Bucs scored a total of nine runs in the fourth inning and led the Loggers 10-2 heading into the fifth inning. Senior Natalie Evers added a run in the fifth to put the Pirates up 11-2, and the Loggers went down in order to end the game in five innings.
Riley Fritz (8-1) earned the win in the circle, giving up two runs on three hits in five innings. Megan Campbell (0-7) took the loss, giving up eight runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
Heather Hesselgesser finished game one 2-for-3, while M'Liss Powles and Jamie Brunner each batted in two runs.
Game 2 – Whitworth 6, Puget Sound 4
Jamie Brunner got things started early as she blasted a three-run home run to right center, scoring junior Hanna Boyd and Caylan Haehl. The Pirates led 3-0 until the bottom of the third, when the Loggers got a run back to make it 3-1.
Whitworth added another run in the top of the fifth inning as Hanna Boyd scored on a sacrifice fly from Heather Hesselgesser. In the top of the sixth inning, pinch hitter Brittany Connor singled to center field and then advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Natalie Evers. Connor scored on a groundout from freshman Megan John to put the Pirates up 5-1 heading into the bottom of the inning. Puget Sound pulled within one run, as two Loggers scored on a double from Shannon Reed and then Reed scored two batters later. After Brunner was walked to start the seventh inning, Hesselgesser doubled to left center, scoring Brunner and putting the Bucs up 6-4. The Loggers went down in order to end the game.
In the circle, sophomore Megan Fisher (1-2) earned the win, facing 16 batters and giving up one earned run on three hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Riley Fritz earned her first save of the season, facing 15 batters and giving up one run on four hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Megan Campbell (0-7) took the loss, facing 34 batters and giving up six runs on six hits, while pitching all seven innings.
Brunner went 1-for-2 at the plate, and had a game-high 3 RBI. Hesselgesser batted in two runs, while Megan John finished the game with an RBI.
Game 3 – Whitworth 9, Puget Sound 0 (5 innings)
Neither team was able to put any runs up in the first inning, but Whitworth made up ground in the top of the second, as Alyssa Martinez's double scored junior Julia Johnson. Sophomore Sacha Clow grounded out, but sophomore Taylor Gilbert scored on the play. Freshman Alyssa Hall scored on a bunt from Brittany Connor. Jamie Brunner's single up the middle scored Connor, and then Caylan Haehl stole home. Heather Hesselgesser's single to left field scored Brunner. The Pirates tallied six runs in the top of the inning to lead the Loggers 6-0.
Puget Sound was unable to push any runs across the plate and the Bucs added to their run total in the fourth inning, when Caylan Haehl scored on a sacrifice fly from Julia Johnson. The Pirates pushed two more runs across in the top of the fifth inning, as Martinez hit a solo home run down the left field line and sophomore Peyton McMahon scored on a sacrifice bunt from Haehl.
Taylor Gilbert (2-6) earned the win in the circle, facing 19 batters and only giving up two hits in five innings. Megan Campbell (0-9) took the loss, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits in five innings.
Alyssa Martinez went 3-for-3 at the plate, and had two RBI.
Whitworth will face Puget Sound for the final game of the series at 10:00 AM on Monday.
