PARKLAND, Wash. – Mari Foster singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh to lift Pacific Lutheran to a 10-9 win and a doubleheader sweep of visiting Whitworth on the Northwest Conference softball opening day for both teams on Friday.  The Lutes (10-4 overall, 2-0 NWC) defeated the Pirates (10-4, 0-2) 12-8 in the first game.

The teams will complete the four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 11:00 am.

Game 1 – PLU 12, Whitworth 8
The Pirates built a 6-3 lead halfway through the game, but the Lutes scored four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take control.

Whitworth took a 2-0 lead in the first when Haley Montoya got a two-out base hit and Maddy Thomas drilled a home run to right field.  The Lutes got one back in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Erin McGrath.

Jessica Rusconi's RBI single in the third inning scored Thomas for a 3-1 lead.  PLU tied the game in the bottom of the third on consecutive RBI singles by Nanea Kalama and Molly House.

Whitworth appeared to take control in the top of the fourth by scoring three runs.  Mattea Nelson had a sacrifice fly to score Jessica Dillon, who had already doubled twice in the game.  Montoya followed with an RBI double that drove in Rylee Gentner.

As they did all game, PLU answered in the bottom of the inning.  After an RBI double, McGrath hit a two-run homer to tie the game and Casey Wright followed with a solo shot to give the Lutes their first lead.

Mattea Nelson tied the game 7-7 with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but PLU scored four more in the bottom of the fifth.  Sarah Potwin started the rally with a solo homer, while Wright and Kalama added RBI singles later in the inning for an 11-7 lead.

The Lutes made it 12-7 when Raynna Mekaru hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.

The Pirates tied to rally in the seventh.  Thomas drove in Montoya with an RBI infield single.  But that's as close as Whitworth could get.

Montoya finished 3-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Thomas went 2-2 with three RBIs. Dillon finished 2-4 with her two doubles.

McGrath drove in four runs for the Lutes, while Wright finished 3-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. 

Corinne Vasiloff (5-2) took the loss after giving up 10 runs (six earned) on 12 hits in four innings.  Annie Brose finished off the final two innings in the circle and allowed two runs on six hits.

Kennedy Kila started for PLU and was relieved after giving up six runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.  Marley Dyer came on in relief and got the win after she threw 3.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks.

Game 2 – PLU 10, Whitworth 9
The Pirates had the lead throughout until the Lutes scored three runs each in the bottom of the sixth and the bottom of the seventh to complete the doubleheader sweep.

After the Lutes took a 2-0 lead in the first, Whitworth scored five in the second after loading the bases with nobody out.  Nashoni Boyd drove in the first run with a single.  Jazz Johnson drove in the next run with a fielder's choice and Rusconi scored on a sacrifice fly by Nelson.  Montoya's single brought home the final two runs.

The Lutes got one run back in the third on an RBI single by Potwin.  Boyd answered with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth for an 8-3 Whitworth lead.

PLU pulled within 8-4 in the fifth and McGrath hit a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 8-7.

Boyd homered again in the top of the seventh to extend Whitworth's lead to 9-7.   Potwin started the comeback with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh.  After a walk, Vasiloff relieved Momi Lyman in the circle for the Pirates.  With two out and two on base, the tying run scored on a wild pitch.  Foster's single drove in the winning run.

Boyd had her career best hitting game as a Pirate, going 4-4 with five RBIs.  Lyman allowed nine runs (7 earned) on 13 hits and four walks in six innings.  Vasiloff (5-3) allowed the game-winning run in the final two-thirds of an inning.

Cassidy Conrad started for PLU and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and five walks in 4.1 innings.  Emma Ware picked up the win in relief, giving up one run on one hit in 2.2 innings.