SALEM, Ore. – Whitworth and Willamette split a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader for the second consecutive day on Tuesday afternoon at the WU softball field.  The host Bearcats rallied to win the opener 2-1 before the Pirates returned the rally favor to take the nightcap 5-2.

By splitting the four-game series, Whitworth remains alone in first place in the NWC standings at 19-8 overall and 11-5 in the conference.  Willamette remained two games behind at 12-7, 8-6.

The Pirates will return to action this coming weekend at Puget Sound.

Game 1 – Willamette 2, Whitworth 1 (8 innings)
Mallory Asaro led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a game-tying home run and the Bearcats rallied for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to win Tuesday's opener.

It was the second straight day that the teams went extra innings in the opening game of the doubleheader and the second straight day the host school pulled out the win in the extra frames.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning after Chelsey Hayes doubled home Myranda Ramirez, who had reached on an error.

But Whitworth could not score any other runs off of Willamette starting pitcher Reanna Lancaster, who improved to 5-1 with an eight-inning complete game.  She allowed only the unearned run on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Kathryn Moore opened the bottom of the eighth with a double and moved to third base on a passed ball.  Two walks loaded the bases and Carrie Fox drove in the winning run with an infield single.

Whitworth starter Makayla Lefever fell to 11-2 after allowing two runs on six hits in seven official innings because there were no outs on the board when Willamette score the winning run in the eighth.

Game 2 – Whitworth 5, Willamette 2
The Pirates rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, using a four-run fifth inning to take the lead.

Willamette loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the first inning and took the 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Alex Shields.  But Whitworth pitcher Madi Perez settled down and did not allow the Bearcats another run in the inning, or the game.

In fact, Perez only gave up one more hit the rest of the way and improved to 7-6 after allowing only one earned run on three hits in the complete-game.

Shannon Wessel's double drove in Hayes with Whitworth's first run in the fourth inning.

The Pirates scored four times in the fifth to take the lead.  Alyssa Hall singled home Michelle Silva to tie the game and move Kelsey Downey to third base.  After Hall stole second base, Ramirez singled through the right side of the infield to score Downey and Hall.  Ramirez eventually scored on a fielder's choice off of the bat of Morgan Portlock.

Jade Smith started in the circle for Willamette and took the loss after giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits in five innings.  She fell to 5-6.