SPOKANE, Wash. – Desi Graham drove in four runs, including the game-winning runs in both contests, to lead Whitworth to a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader sweep of visiting Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon at Diana Marks Field.  The Pirates won the opener 5-2, then claimed the nightcap 3-2 after Graham's two-out double in the bottom of the seventh capped a three-run rally.

Whitworth improved to 24-9 overall and 16-6 in the NWC, remaining two games ahead of Linfield (14-8) in the conference standings.  The Lutes dropped to 19-13, 11-11.

The teams will complete the four-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday that will be carried live on SWX television in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

Game 1 – Whitworth 5, PLU 2
Alyssa Hall had three hits, Graham drove in three runs and Makayla Lefever improved to 14-3 with a complete-game effort to lead the Pirates to a win in the opener.

Whitworth jumped ahead in the first inning when Hall led off with a single against PLU starting pitcher Marissa Miller.  She stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on a wild pitch.

The Pirates added three more runs in the second.  Shannon Wessel and Michelle Silva each walked to lead off the inning and then were sacrificed to second and third base.  Graham followed with a single through the middle to score both runners.  After Graham was picked off at second base, Tessa Matthews singled.  She would score on Hall's double down the left field line for a 4-0 Pirate lead.

Whitworth used a pair of PLU errors and an infield single to load the bases in the third inning.  Graham batted with two outs and was hit by a pitch, driving in the Pirates' fifth run.

The Lutes got on the board in the fifth inning.  Kathryn Hatlen's two-out single drove in Thalen Masada and Emily McConnell.  But Lefever retired seven of the final eight batters she faced to prevent any further damage.  She scattered eight hits and struck out four without a walk.

Miller went the distance for PLU, falling to 8-6 after allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in six innings.  She struck out four and walked three.

Game 2 – Whitworth 3, PLU 2
Graham's two-out, walk-off double capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning after the Lutes were on the brink of splitting Saturday's doubleheader.

PLU took its first lead of the day in the first inning.  McConnell had a one-out double and scored on Amanda Hartley's infield single.

Both starting pitchers dominated the next five innings.  PLU starter Elli Rassbach would keep Whitworth off the scoreboard entirely until the seventh.

Pirate starter Madi Perez did not allow another run, or hit, until the Lutes added a run on three hits in the top of the sixth.  Becca Sorensen's RBI single scored Hartley, who had doubled earlier in the inning.  It appeared Hartley had driven in her second RBI of the game with her double, but pinch-runner Jessica Alcomendas tripped after rounding third base and was tagged out by catcher Megan John.

Hall reached on an error leading off the bottom of the seventh.  She moved to second on an infield hit by Myranda Ramirez.  With one out, Morgan Portlock's ground ball to shortstop was not fielded cleanly, and the throw to first base got away, allowing Hall to score, Ramirez to reach third and Portlock to get on base.  Shannon Wessel then grounded to short and Anna Overland made a strong throw home to catch Ramirez for the second out, keeping PLU in the lead.  But Portlock was able to move to third base on the play.  Portlock scored the tying run on an infield single when Michelle Silva just beat out a throw to first base and Wessel moved to second.  Graham then drove the first pitch she saw to the gap in left center, easily scoring Wessel for the winning run.

Ramirez, Graham and John all had two hits each in the game for Whitworth.  Perez improved to 9-6 after she allowed two runs on six hits and a walk.  She struck out five Lutes.

Rassbach (10-7) gave up no earned runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings.  She struck out three and walked four batters.