SPOKANE, Wash. – Ashley Bartels hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift Whitworth to a come-from-behind 6-5 win over visiting Puget Sound on Sunday in the finale of a four game series that the Pirates swept at Diana Marks Field.
Whitworth (15-9 overall, 5-7 NWC) won Sunday's first game 14-1 in five innings over the Loggers (4-18, 4-10).
The Pirates will host Pacific (Ore.) in a four-game make up series on Tuesday (1:00 pm) and Wednesday (11:00 am).
Game 1 – Whitworth 14, Puget Sound 1 (5 inn.)
Rylee Gentner went 3-5 with five RBIs to help back the strong pitching from Momi Lyman.
The Loggers took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Hana DeGuzman walked, stole second and scored on a single by Jessica Moore.
Whitworth countered with three in the bottom of the first. Julia Dillon drove in Haley Montoya with a single and Heather Menzer followed with a two-run single that scored Gentner and Dillon.
The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fourth when the Pirates exploded for 11 runs. They took advantage of three Puget Sound errors and a passed ball to score 10 unearned runs. Genter batted twice in the inning and drove in two with a single up the middle in her first at-bat. She added a bases-loaded double that sent home three in her second time up. Montoya also had RBIs in both of her at-bats, the first an RBI single and the second a bases-loaded walk.
After allowing the first-inning run, Lyman did not allow another hit until the top of the fifth. She did walk five batters, but also struck out five to improve to 7-1 this season.
Menzer and Taylor Hofheins each had a pair of hits in the game.
Game 2 – Whitworth 6, Puget Sound 5
The Pirates trailed 5-0 before beginning a rally that was capped by Bartels' home run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Loggers struck for four runs in the top of the second. After two walks, Kimora Phillips tripled to right field to drive in a pair. Emily Moore followed with her first home run of the season and Puget Sound had a 4-0 lead on only two hits.
The Loggers loaded the bases with one out in the third and DeGuzman, who had reached on an error to open the inning, scored on a ground ball to third base.
At that point Whitworth starting pitcher Corinne Vasiloff settled down. She allowed only one more hit and faced only one batter over the minimum over the final four innings.
The Pirates began the comeback with three runs in the bottom of the third. After loading the bases with no one out on two singles and an error, Gentner drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run. Another run scored on a ground out before Maddy Thomas added an RBI single.
Montoya's two-out single in the fourth inning drove in the fourth run and got the Pirates within one.
Whitworth had runners on first and second in the fifth when Puget Sound turned a double play. Bartels stepped in and drove the ball to right center field with two outs for the tying and go-ahead runs.
Vasiloff retired the side in order in the sixth and allowed a one-out walk in the seventh. She got a strikeout and a comebacker to end the game. Valiloff (8-8) allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits. She struck out three and walked three.
Savannah Smith (1-8) went the distance for Puget Sound, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits and four walks.
