SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth softball team secured its spot as the three seed in the Northwest Conference Tournament by earning back-to-back wins over Willamette University at Marks Field on Tuesday.
Whitworth improves to 22-18 on the season, with a 16-12 mark in the Northwest Conference. Willamette falls to 14-24, 10-18 in conference play.
Game 1 – Whitworth 8, Willamette 7 (8 innings)
Willamette followed two scoreless innings with two runs in the top of the third inning, but Whitworth earned a run back in the bottom half of the inning when a double from junior Makenzie Hope scored freshman M'Liss Powles. Willamette was undeterred though, as the Bearcats scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.
The Pirates responded with a three run inning of its own, as junior Julia Johnson hit a three-run homer over the left centerfield wall in the bottom of the fourth to pull Whitworth within one, 5-4. Willamette pushed two more runs across in the next half inning, while holding Whitworth scoreless. The Bucs pushed two run across in the bottom of the sixth and trailed 7-6 heading into the seventh inning. After sending the Bearcat batters back to the dugout in order in the top of the seventh, Whitworth trailed by one run with two outs when senior Heather Hesselgesser singled up the middle to score Hope and tie the game 7-7.
Willamette's Jenna King singled to left field in the top of the eighth, but was left stranded on base as the Pirates denied Willamette from taking the lead. With the bases loaded, Powles put the ball in play, scoring junior Hanna Boyd as the Pirates won the game 8-7.
Sophomore Riley Fritz (13-6) earned the win in the circle, allowing just one hit while striking out three of the 10 batters she faced in three innings. Hayley Glantz (8-15) took the loss, giving up five earned runs on nine hits while striking out three batters in six innings.
At the plate, Julia Johnson went 2-for-4 with four runs batted in as she hit her fifth home run of the season.
Game 2-Whitworth 8, Willamette 6
Willamette opened game two with three hits that scored a runner to take an early 1-0 lead. Whitworth responded with three hits of its out that scored two runs, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead after one inning. Matching hit-for-hit, Willamette pushed a run across in the top of the third and two runs across in the top of the fourth, while holding Whitworth scoreless in the bottom halves of the innings to take a 4-2 lead.
Whitworth's bats warmed up in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the first three Pirate batters each hit singles, with senior Jamie Brunner's single scoring Makenzie Hope. Junior Caylan Haehl scored when Heather Hesselgesser grounded out to the second baseman. Julia Johnson slammed the ball down the left field line for a double that scored Jamie Brunner and gave Whitworth a 5-4 lead.
The Pirates stayed hot in the sixth inning, as Haehl's single went just past second base, scoring freshman pinch runner Brittany Connor, and then Hesselgesser's single up the middle scored Hope to give the Pirates an 8-4 lead. Willamette was able to get two runs back in the top of the seventh, but Whitworth secured the third out before more damage could be done, winning the game 8-6 and taking the series victory.
Sophomore Taylor Gilbert (6-8) earned the win in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings with two runs on five hits. Hayley Glantz (8-16) took the loss, pitching the complete game with eight runs on 12 hits.
Heather Hesselgesser finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and a run scored.
Whitworth will face second-seeded Pacific Lutheran at 1:30 pm on Saturday, April 20th in the Northwest Conference Tournament. Linfield, who earned the top seed after winning the Northwest Conference regular season title, will host the 2013 NWC Tournament.
