SPOKANE, Wash. – Tessa Matthews went 4-6 and drove in six runs to lead Whitworth to a sweep of visiting Pacific Lutheran in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Diana Marks Field.  The Pirates won the opener 3-0 and used a nine-run sixth inning for a 9-1 win in the nightcap.  Whitworth improved to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in the NWC, while the Lutes dropped to 3-7, 2-4.

The teams will complete the four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at noon.

Game 1 – Whitworth 3, Pacific Lutheran 0
Madi Perez tossed a five-hit shutout and Matthews drove in two runs to lead the Bucs to a win in the opener.

Whitworth got all the runs it would need in the first inning.  Peyton McMahon tripled home Shannon Wessel with the first run and McMahon scored on Matthews' infield single.

Matthews drove in the game's third run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.  That was it as far as either team's offense.

Perez scatted five hits in her eighth complete game of the season.  She struck out five batters without a walk and improved to 6-2. 

The Lutes got the first two on base in the fourth inning.  But Perez got a strikeout and two ground outs to end the threat. 

Leah Butters pitched well for PLU in the loss.  She dropped to 2-3 after allowing two earned runs on six hits in six innings.  She struck out three and walked three.

Game 2 – Whitworth 9, Pacific Lutheran 1 (6 innings)
The Pirates saved all of their offense for the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring nine runs on eight hits to claim a victory by the eight-run rule.

Whitworth committed a pair of errors on defense to start the game, allowing PLU to score the first run on a sacrifice fly by Emily McConnell. 

Meanwhile the Bucs could get little going against PLU starting pitcher Marissa Miller through the first five innings.  Miller worked out of trouble in the third inning after Whitworth got the first two runners on base.

But the Pirates finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, sending 11 batters to the plate.  Peyton McMahon doubled to open the inning and scored the tying run on Matthews' single to right field.  Two more singles loaded the bases for Kayla Batastini.  She hit a ball to the first baseman, who did not make a throw home or to first, allowing the go-ahead run to score.  That opened the flood gates.  Megan Fisher, Chelsey Hayes and Alyssa Hall all followed with RBI singles to make the score 5-0.  With one out and the bases still loaded McMahon came back to the plate and drew a walk to increase the lead to 6-1.  Then Matthews doubled to the wall in left center field, clearing the bases and ending the game.

Makayla Lefever was strong in the circle for the Bucs, allowing no earned runs in six innings.  She gave up only three hits and struck out one without a walk.

Miller took the loss to drop to 1-4 after she allowed seven runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings.  Kat Enyeart came on in relief during Whitworth's rally and gave up two runs in 0.1 innings.

Mathews finished the game 3-4 with four RBIs in the nightcap.  Hayes went 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored.