SPOKANE, Wash. – A walk-off win in game one allowed Whitworth to split Saturday's Northwest Conference softball doubleheader against visiting George Fox at Diana Marks Field. The Pirates (22-16 overall, 14-12 NWC) won the opener 6-5, but the Bruins (23-14, 16-9) bounced back to win the second game 10-5.
The teams will complete the series, and the regular season, with another doubleheader on Sunday at 11:00 am.
Game 1 – Whitworth 6, George Fox 5
The Pirates staged a three-run, two out rally in the bottom of the seventh to win.
The Bruins appeared poised to break the game open early, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the first. Whitworth pitcher Corinne Vasiloff limited the damage to one run on a ground out.
Reagan Ellis singled in Haley Montoya with the Pirates' first run in the bottom of the first.
George Fox scored four in the third. Sydney Sandifer had a two-run home run for a 3-1 lead. Later in the frame, Brooke Riggins drew a bases-loaded walk and the final run scored on a ground out to first.
Whitworth got two back in the bottom of the third. Mattea Nelson tripled home Montoya and then scored when Julia Dillon reached on a throwing error.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the seventh as Vasiloff posted four straight scoreless innings. Whitworth's rally in the final frame began with two outs. Montoya's infield single started it and Nelson and Dillon each followed with solid singles to load the bases. Ellis singled home Montoya to get the Bucs within a run and Jazz Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. After a pitching change, Taylor Hoffheins drilled a ball back into the circle that could not be fielded cleanly, allowing Hoffheins to reach and Dillon to score the winning run.
Vasiloff (14-7) allowed five runs on five hits and six walks in the complete-game effort. Montoya, Nelson and Ellis each had two of Whitworth's ten hits. Montoya scored three runs.
Ashley Davis (11-6) took the loss for George Fox after allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks in 6.2 innings.
Game 2 – George Fox 10, Whitworth 5
The Bruins hit two home runs and led 10-2 in the sixth before the Pirates rallied to avoid the game ending on the eight-run rule.
George Fox scored one run in the second and then three more in the third, including a two-run home run by Sandifer, her second of the day.
The Pirates got on the board with an unearned run in the bottom of the third before the Bruins scored three more in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. Kamryn Potter had a two-run double in that rally.
Whitworth loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but managed only one run on Dillon's ground out to second base.
George Fox appeared poised to end the game early by scoring three again in the top of the sixth. Kimberly Pulido had a two-run home run in the rally.
Trailing 10-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Pirates were down to their final strike when Kelly Hruza drew a walk. Two batters later Montoya singled to right to drive in a run, but a base-running mistake cost Whitworth the chance at a bigger inning.
Nelson led off the seventh with her second home run of the season. After Dillon followed with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch, Ellis drove an RBI single to right center. George Fox made a second pitching change and did not allow another run.
Whitworth outhit the Bruins 13-12, but left seven runners on base.
Kami Gibson threw the first 5.2 innings for GFU and improved to 6-5 after giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits. Emma Eastman allowed two runs on four hits in relief before Elise Wilkinson shut the door in only her second pitching appearance of the season.
Momi Lyman (7-8) went the distance for the Pirates, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
