by Kelsey Segren, Sports Information Assistant

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University softball team bounced back from a pair of losses the day before with two wins on Sunday to earn the series split with visiting Pacific Lutheran in Northwest Conference action on Diana Marks Field.

Whitworth (8-14, 6-4 NWC) won the first game 7-2 thanks in part to home runs by Maddy Thomas and Ashley Bartels. The Pirates held off a late comeback from Pacific Lutheran (8-16, 5-11) to take the series finale 8-6. Sara Gayer led the Pirates at the plate on Sunday, finishing 5-6 with four RBIs and three runs scored on the day.

Game 1 – Whitworth 7, Pacific Lutheran 2

Corinne Vasiloff (2-3) pitched a complete game to help the Pirates win the opener, allowing just two runs on seven hits and finishing with a career-high five strikeouts. Thomas and Bartels each hit a home run to account for five of the Bucs' RBIs.   

Whitworth took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, highlighted by a deep two-run homer to right center by Thomas. Gayer had an RBI-single to get the Pirates on the scoreboard.

Nanea Kalama brought in a run for the Lutes in the top of the fourth but was thrown out at first by right fielder Brynn Radke.

Bartels hit the first home run of her Pirate career, a three-run homer to left, in the bottom of the fourth to extend the Pirates' lead to 6-1. Whitworth added another run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI-single from Kaylie Lowery.

Lowery and Gayer both finished 3-3 at the plate for the Pirates. Bartels also had a multi-hit game, hitting 2-3.

Kennedy Robillard (3-6) took the loss in the circle for the Lutes, allowing five runs on six hits in 3.1 innings of work. Molly House relieved Robillard and allowed two runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of work.

Game 2 – Whitworth 8, Pacific Lutheran 6

Whitworth scored in all but one inning in the series finale to earn the weekend split with PLU. Rylee Gentner hit her first home run as a Pirate in the game.

Thomas got the scoring started for Whitworth in the bottom of the first with an RBI-single.

The Lutes tied it up in the top of the second, but the Pirates would quickly take back the lead in the bottom half as Gayer drove in two runs with a single to bring the score to 3-1.

A Lutes' infield single from Casey Wright in the top of the third made it a one-run game but the Pirates would respond again the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI single from Julia Dillon to bring Whitworth's advantage to 5-2.

Singles from Gayer and Heather Menzer extended the Pirates' lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth.

PLU started to make a comeback in the fifth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three runs to narrow its deficit to 7-5. The Pirates struggled to get out of the inning, recording two errors in the frame.

Gentner's home run came in the bottom of the fifth, a solo shot to left in her only at-bat of the day, to make the score 8-5.

Mari Foster homered in the top of the seventh for the Lutes to make it a two-run game. PLU had to go-ahead run at the plate but were held off by the Pirates.

Drea Schwaier-Wolf (4-5) got the win in the circle for the Pirates, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings. Melanie Laronde finished off the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits. Gayer finished 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Menzer had a three-hit game.

Z Ellis (3-5) was credited with the pitching loss for the Lutes, allowing three runs on six hits through the first two innings. Marley Dyer allowed four runs over the next 1.1 innings and Cassidy Conrad entered for the last 2.2 innings. Conrad allowed just one hit which was Gentner's home run.

Coming Up: Whitworth hosts No. 1 Linfield next weekend in a four-game NWC series.