TACOMA, Wash. – Visiting Whitworth University secured two hard-fought wins over Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader to complete a four-game series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
The Pirates (11-24 overall, 9-15 NWC) poured on five runs in the seventh inning to win game one 8-4 before edging the Loggers (5-29, 3-21) 6-5 in extra innings to secure the sweep.
Whitworth will return to Spokane for senior weekend on April 25-26 against first-place Pacific Lutheran.
Game 1: Whitworth 8, Puget Sound 4
Puget Sound hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, but Teeghan Reams responded with one of her own in the seventh to push Whitworth to a win.
Reagan Ellis picked up where she left off on Saturday with an RBI double to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Brynn Erdmann pushed across another with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Pirate starting pitcher Lina Schwippert was dominant early on with eight strikeouts through four innings. Late in the game, the Loggers broke through as Alyssa Waldo put on a run on the board in the fifth with an RBI double. Following a sacrifice fly off the bat of Landri Nakano to put the Bucs up 3-1, Puget Sound's Olivia Boures hit a three-run go-ahead homer to center field to take a 4-3 lead.
Whitworth didn't fold and answered with five runs in the next half inning. After a leadoff walk, Reams returned the favor with her own go-ahead home run to center, her seventh of the season. Megan Highfill added on with a two-run single to right center and Kendel Sage gave the Pirates an 8-4 advantage with a run-scoring hit up the middle.
Schwippert allowed four runs on eight hits and finished with eight punchouts in the 5.1 inning start. Trinity Miller (1-1) earned the win in 1.2 innings of relief. She allowed one hit and struck out one.
The Pirates totaled eight hits at the plate by eight different players. The top four hitters in the lineup each recorded a hit, RBI, and drawn walk. Camryn Sage was the only starter without a hit but reached base more than any other Whitworth batter as she drew four of the team's nine walks.
Nyomi Estrada (4-13) took the loss for the Loggers after giving up eight runs on eight hits. She walked nine and struck out seven. Kara Miyoshi recorded one out in relief. Macy Maxwell had three hits to lead PS at the plate.
Game 2: Whitworth 6, Puget Sound 5 (9 inn.)
A throwing error allowed the Pirates to score the go-ahead run in their second nine-inning win of the series.
Puget Sound jumped ahead early. A run scored on a groundout in the first to get the Loggers on the board before an error and two-run single from Clarie Besancon pushed the lead to four in the second.
PS starter Lauren Perryman held Whitworth scoreless until the fifth inning when the Bucs got their offense going with five consecutive hits. Aubrey Bauer hit an RBI single through the left side to get a run on the board. Nakano and Kendel Sage followed with two more run-scoring base hits to tie the game at 4-4.
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Pirates took the lead in the top of the seventh. Erdmann lined a go-ahead single to left center that scored Nakano from third. The Loggers loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning and extended the game with a game-tying two-out walk off pitcher Madison Sanchez. Sanchez was able to get out of the inning with a pop out to second.
Nakano again sparked the offense with a walk in the ninth inning. Kendel Sage followed with a single to push Nakano into scoring position. Erdmann followed with a ground ball to third, but the throw sailed past first base and allowed Whitworth to take the lead.
The first two Puget Sound hitters reached in the bottom half of inning, but Reams held on for the win in the circle.
Kendel Sage went 3 for 4 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Bucs at the plate. Nakano had a multi-hit game and scored three times.
Miller made her second start of the season and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits in two innings. Sanchez pitched five innings and struck out five with one run allowed. Reams (3-7) earned the win after pitching a scoreless final two innings.
Perryman allowed five runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts in the 6.1 inning start for the Loggers. Miyoshi (0-2) was credited with the loss after allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. Besancon had two hits and two RBIs to lead PS in the box. Maxwell was 2 for 4 with a walk.
