by Kelsey Segren, Sports Information Assistant

NEWBERG, Ore. – George Fox hit eight home runs on its way to two wins over visiting Whitworth, 9-1 and 8-4, in Saturday's Northwest Conference softball doubleheader at Morse Athletic Field.

George Fox improves to 23-7 overall 19-3 in NWC play with a chance to pass Linfield in the league standings tomorrow. Whitworth drops to 9-19 overall and 7-9 in conference play. The Pirates and Bruins will finish the series with another doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m.

Heather Menzer led the Pirates on Saturday, finishing 4-7 with two RBIs. Mattea Nelson hit 3-5 with an RBI.

Game 1 – George Fox 9, Whitworth 1 (6 innings)

George Fox hit seven home runs in the series opener to extend its conference-leading season total to 57. Eight of the Bruins' 12 hits went for extra bases.   

Kamryn Potter and Savannah Vargas hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first to give George Fox a 2-0 lead. Neither team scored over the next three innings.

A two-run homer from Claire Fountain doubled the Bruins' advantage in the fifth.

Whitworth got on the scoreboard with one run in the top of the sixth. Maddy Thomas opened the inning with a double and Menzer drove her home with a single to bring the score to 4-1.

George Fox hit four home runs in the bottom of the sixth. Vargas and Fountain hit their second homers of the game in the frame. Katie Ladd hit a third consecutive homer for the Bruins in the inning to end the game early.    

Ashley Davis (13-3) allowed one run on eight hits and stuck out eight Pirates in six innings of work as the Bruins' starting pitcher.

Drea Schwaier-Wolf (4-8) allowed four runs on eight hits through 4.1 innings for the Pirates. Melanie Laronde pitched one inning and gave up five runs on four hits.

Game 2 – George Fox 8, Whitworth 4

George Fox broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the third inning on its way to a second win on Saturday. The Bruins earned the win despite being outhit 13-8.  

GFU held Whitworth to one run in the top of the second after the Pirates opened the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Nelson drove in Menzer with a single to put the Pirates up 1-0.  

Ladd's home run in the bottom of the second tied the game at 1-1. The Bruins then took the lead with their five-run third inning. Caitlyn Rhoades hit a bases-clearing double to drive in three of the runs.

The Pirates narrowed the Bruins' lead to 6-3 in the top of the fourth after an RBI single from Kaylie Lowery followed by an RBI groundout from Brynn Radke.

George Fox extended its lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth after Fountain's two-run single.  

Whitworth continued to put runners in scoring position in the fifth, cutting the Bruins' lead to 8-4 after Menzer's double drove in Thomas. Julia Dillon singled and Rylee Gentner drew a walk to load the bases with one out before Emma Eastman came in to pitch for the Bruins. Eastman forced a shallow fly out and a strikeout to end the inning.

The Pirates and Bruins recorded one hit each through the remainder of the game.

Sarah Storton (7-2) got the start for the Bruins and allowed three runs on nine hits in four innings. Rhoades came in for an out before Eastman finished off the game, allowing just one hit in 2.2 innings of relief.

Corinne Vasiloff (3-4) took the loss in the circle, allowing five runs on three hits in the third inning. Kylie Harris relieved Vasiloff in the third and allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Laronde got the start for the Pirates, allowing one run on two hits through two innings.