REDLANDS, Calif. – Whitworth University split a pair of 3-2 decisions with the University of Redlands in a non-conference softball doubleheader on Sunday at the U of R Field of Dreams.

Both teams suffered their first loss of the season.  Whitworth is now 3-1 while the Bulldogs are 5-1.

Alyssa Hall and Morgan Portlock both had three hits on the day and Makayla Lefever picked up her second pitching victory of the season for the Pirates.

Whitworth will open Northwest Conference play next weekend with a four-game series at Lewis & Clark College.

Game 1 – Redlands 3, Whitworth 2
The Pirates outhit the Bulldogs 7-5, but an error in the bottom of the fourth inning led to a pair of unearned runs and proved to be the difference.

Whitworth got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Morgan Portlock singled with one out to drive in Michelle Silva.

Redlands went ahead in the bottom of the fourth.  With two outs and runners on second and third a Lauren Hernandez ground ball to shortstop was not fielded, allowing both runners to score.

The Pirates tied the game in the top of the fifth when Shannon Wessel's sacrifice fly scored Alyssa Hall with two outs. 

But the Bulldogs put together three hits in the bottom half of the fifth to score the eventual game-winning run.  Val King's single brought home Amanda Ang with two outs.

Madi Perez (1-1) was the hard-luck losing pitcher for Whitworth.  She allowed only one earned run on five hits in six complete innings.  She struck out three batters without a walk.

Three different pitchers saw time in the circle for Redlands. 

Game 2 – Whitworth 3, Redlands 2
The Pirates scored three early runs and survived a seventh-inning home run to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

Roles reversed in game two as Redlands held an 8-4 edge in hits and Whitworth took advantage of a key error to score two runs.  That occurred in the top of the second inning after Portlock walked and Kelsey Downey singled.  Both runners moved up a base on the second out and scored when Desi Graham's fly ball was misplayed in left field.

Hall led off the top of the third with a triple and scored the Pirates' third run on Wessel's second sacrifice fly of the day.

Whitworth starting pitcher Makayla Lefever scattered five hits through the first six innings.  Three of those came in the bottom of the fifth when she escaped a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run.

But Redlands finally scored in the bottom of the seventh.  Summer Smith's two-run homer with one out pulled the hosts within a run.  Another hit followed, but Lefever struck out Dani Santos and got Jennifer Ng to line out to short. Lefever improved to 2-0 this season with the complete-game effort.

Lindsey Mifsud (2-1) went the distance for Redlands, but suffered her first pitching loss of the season.