TACOMA, Wash. – With the help of six runs batted in from Reagan Ellis and 17 strikeouts from the circle, visiting Whitworth University earned two wins over the University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
The Pirates (9-25 overall, 7-15 NWC) took game one 4-3 in nine innings before the offense caught fire in a 10-2 six-inning game two win. The Loggers fell to 5-27 overall and 3-19 in conference play.
The Bucs will look to claim a series win or sweep in Sunday's doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11:00 am.
Game 1: Whitworth 4, Puget Sound 3 (9 inn.)
Despite being outhit 9-4, Whitworth came out on top of an extra-inning battle.
The Pirates took the lead in the second with a pair of run-scoring hits. After Megan Highfill and Landri Nakano each drew a walk to lead off the inning, Kendel Sage lined an RBI double into center field that scored pinch runner Natalie Singer. Ellis followed with a two-run single up the middle that put the Bucs up 3-0.
After four scoreless innings, starting pitcher Lina Schwippert seemed on track for another quick inning, but Puget Sound strung together three two-out hits to cut the Pirate lead to one. After two singles, Claire Besancon's double put the Loggers on the board.
Whitworth was one out away from securing the win in the seventh when Besancon came to the plate and again came through for PS with a game-tying RBI single.
The Bucs regained their lead in the ninth. Nakano walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout. Brynn Erdmann followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly. The Loggers singled to open the bottom half of the inning, but Schwippert retired the next three hitters to secure the win.
Kendel Sage was 2 for 4 to lead the Bucs at the plate. Ellis and Teeghan Reams recorded the other two Whitworth hits. Despite the low hit totals, the Bucs drew nine walks, led by Highfill with three. Reams and Nakano each drew two.
Schwippert (5-8) pitched all nine innings in the winning effort for Whitworth. She gave up three runs on nine hits and tied a season-high eight strikeouts.
Nyomi Estrada (4-12) took the loss for Puget Sound with four runs allowed on four hits with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Four Loggers had a multi-hit game, led by Besancon with three RBIs.
Game 2: Whitworth 10, Puget Sound 2 (6 inn.)
Ellis drove in four runs and the Pirates tallied a season-high 14 hits to back a career-high nine strikeouts from Reams in the circle.
The Bucs struck early and scored three runs in each of the first two innings. Reams opened the scoring with an RBI double to center. Two more scored following a base hit from Camryn Sage and a throwing error. Kendel Sage's base hit in the second scored Aubrey Bauer and Ellis' two-run single to center pushed the early Whitworth lead to six.
The Loggers scored a run on an error in the bottom of the second, but the Bucs got the run back with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ellis.
Whitworth broke open the game in the sixth. Nakano scored on an error and Ellis knocked in her fourth run of the game with a single. Tessa Hahn followed with an RBI base hit of her own to extend the Pirate lead to 10-1.
Puget Sound battled to stay alive in their half of the inning. The Loggers tallied three straight hits, including an RBI double off the bat of Brenna Flannery, but Reams regrouped and ended the game with two punchouts and a groundout.
Whitworth's offensive attack featured multi-hit games from five different players, led by Kendel Sage and Reams, who each were 3 for 4. Erdmann was 2 for 2 with two runs and a walk and Ellis totaled six RBIs on the day.
Reams (2-7) was equally as dominant in the circle as she was in the box, collecting a career-high nine strikeouts in the six-inning win. She allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and walked two. At the plate, she totaled four hits on the day.
Puget Sound's Alison Madia (0-9) took the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 1.2 innings. Lauren Perryman allowed four runs in 3.2 innings and Kara Miyoshi recorded a pair of outs. Olivia Boures led the Loggers with two hits.
