PORTLAND, Ore. – The Whitworth Pirate softball team closed its four-game Northwest Conference series at Lewis & Clark with two losses on Sunday. Despite outhitting the Pioneers 15-14 on the day, Whitworth fell 5-3 in game one and 5-2 in game two.
The Bucs dropped to 1-21 overall and 1-11 in the NWC while the Pioneers (20-2, 12-0 NWC) earned their third conference sweep. Whitworth will look to get back in the win column with a conference series at Puget Sound on April 12th and 13th.
Game 1: Lewis & Clark 5, Whitworth 3
The Pirates sparked a rally attempt and kept the high-scoring Pioneer offense at bay, but Maggie O'Leary cut the Whitworth comeback short with a 12-strikeout performance in the circle.
The Pioneer offense was held to one run until the fourth inning, when a bunt forced a throwing error and allowed a run to score. Another bunt pushed two more runs across as the Pirate defense failed to make a clean play. An RBI double gave L&C a 5-0 lead.
Rain started falling in the top of the fifth and the Bucs took advantage of it. O'Leary began to lose command and hit two batters to begin the inning. Addie Johnson followed with an infield single to load the bases. Kendel Sage plated the first run of the series with her second well-placed infield hit of the game. Katie McKinnis was hit by another pitch to keep the rally going and cut the deficit to three. A strikeout ended the inning.
The Pirates initiated another rally after two consecutive singles and an error loaded the bases to start the seventh inning. McKinnis grounded out but allowed Johnson to score. O'Leary replaced Ryan Jurischk after a third of an inning of relief. A fly out and strike out closed the doors on a Pirate comeback.
After a strong first three frames, Teeghan Reams (0-4) finished with five runs allowed in 4.2 innings of work. Reiss McIntyre allowed one hit in 1.1 innings of relief.
O'Leary (12-1) pitched 6.2 innings and allowed two earned runs to go with her dozen strikeouts. Jurischk allowed two hits and one run in a third of an inning.
Game 2: Lewis & Clark 5, Whitworth 2
Whitworth recorded a season-high nine hits but could not overcome an early L&C lead.
The Pioneers scored four runs in the first inning on just one hit. Three walks, a two-run single and a pair of bunts pushed the first three runs across before a Pirate fielding error allowed the fourth.
After entering the game in the first inning, McIntyre settled in and held L&C to just two hits over the next four innings.
Whitworth got the bats going in the fifth. Kelly Hruza and Camryn Sage opened the inning with a pair of singles. Pinch runner Natalie Singer nearly got the first run on the board after a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate. Kendel Sage followed with a line drive double to left center that cut the Pioneer deficit in half.
Reams kept the momentum going with a double to open the sixth inning. Taylor Hofheins walked, and Hruza followed with a single to load the bases. The Pirates were unable to get a run across the plate as a pop out and two strikeouts ended the inning.
Lewis & Clark's Emily Patton provided an insurance run with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Whitworth did not get a base runner aboard in the seventh.
Sage finished the game 2-4 at the plate and went 4-8 on the day with three RBI's.
Momi Lyman (1-12) allowed four runs (three earned) and five walks through two thirds of an inning. McIntyre finished with four hits, one run and one strikeout in 5.1 strong relief innings.
Charlize Pope (6-1) earned the win with seven hits allowed and three strikeouts in five innings. O'Leary pitched two innings and was credited with a save (1).
