SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University softball team used hot batting and strong pitching to complete the Northwest Conference sweep with a pair of shutout victories over Puget Sound at Marks Field on Sunday.

Whitworth improves to 18-6 on the season, with an 11-3 NWC record. Puget Sound falls to 0-13 overall, with an 0-13 NWC mark.

Game 1 – Whitworth 8, Puget Sound 0 (5 innings)
After a scoreless first inning, Whitworth opened the second inning with a pair of singles before senior Caylan Haehl tripled to right field, scoring both runners and putting the Pirates in front 2-0.

Sophomore Alyssa Hall singled to left field in the bottom of the third and scored on a double from junior Peyton McMahon. Sophomore Brittany Connor sent McMahon home on a double to center field and stole third. Haehl singled to left field to score Connor and give Whitworth a 5-0 lead.

Sophomore Megan John made it around the bases after being walked and scored the sixth run of the game after a Logger throwing error. Senior Julia Johnson hit a two-run homer to center field to give the Pirates an 8-0 win.

Caylan Haehl was 2-2 with three RBI at the plate. Peyton McMahon and Alyssa Hall were both 3-3 with a pair of runs score each.

Freshman Madi Perez (9-3) earned the win, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts in five innings in the circle. Megan Campbell (0-7) took the loss, with seven earned runs on 12 hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Game 2 – Whitworth 19, Puget Sound (5 innings)
The Pirates got things going early in game two as a pair of walks and a pair of singles made it a 2-0 game after just four batters in the first inning. Whitworth used six hits and took advantage of two Logger errors to take a 10-0 lead after the first inning.

Junior pitcher Taylor Gilbert followed a no-hit first inning with a one-hit second inning to keep the score 10-0 going into the bottom of the second. Peyton McMahon led off with a double to center field and pinch runner Brittany Connor scored on a passed ball to extend the lead. Seven Pirate batters put balls in play in the inning, accounting for six runs and pushing the lead to 16-0 through two innings.

After a scoreless third inning, junior Riley Fritz retired the Puget Sound batters in order and kept the shutout intact. Sophomore Lyss Martinez singled to reach first base and scored on a junior Sacha Clow double down the left field line. Sophomore Bailey Kasler became the third Pirate to hit a home run this season, as she hit a two-run homer over the back wall and made it a 19-0 game. Puget Sound was able to get a hit in the top of the fifth, but the Pirate defense collected the third out to claim the win.

Bailey Kasler was 3-3 at the plate, with four RBI and three runs scored. Julia Johnson was 1-2 with three RBI in the game.

Taylor Gilbert (4-2) earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings of work. Riley Fritz came on in relief with one hit and three strikeouts in two innings. Megan Campbell (0-8) took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs on 16 hits with one walk in four innings.

Next up, Whitworth will host Eastern Oregon University in a pair of home non-conference meetings on Wednesday, March 26^th.