SPOKANE, Wash. – Led by Jazz Johnson, Whitworth's bats came alive with 26 runs and 29 hits in a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader sweep of visiting Puget Sound at Diana Marks Field on Saturday.

The Pirates (13-9 overall, 3-7 NWC) won the opener 12-4 in six innings and took the second game 14-5 in five innings.   The Loggers (4-16, 4-8) will try to turn things around on Sunday.

Game 1: Whitworth 12, Puget Sound 4 (6 innings)
Johnson and Heather Menzer each drove in four runs to back six solid innings from starting pitcher Corinne Vasiloff in the opener.

The Pirates scored three in the first, including Maddy Thomas' team-leading eighth home run of the season.  But the Loggers scored two each in the second and third to go ahead 4-3.  Jessica Moore had a solo home run and Kelsie Sullivan had a two-run triple. 

Menzer gave Whitworth the lead back with a two-run home run in the third, her third of the season.

The Pirates scored five runs in the fourth to break open the game.  Menzer walked with the bases loaded and Johnson followed with a two-run single.  Ashley Bartels had a pinch-hit RBI single later in the rally.

Whitworth ended the game with two runs in the sixth.  Menzer had an RBI triple while Johnson drove in Menzer with the final run.

Vasiloff (7-8) went the distance, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in six innings.  She struck out five batters, her season high.

Maddy Garcia (1-4) started for UPS and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in three innings.  She walked five batters.  Kendall Gantz finished up the final two innings and gave up four runs on five hits.

Game 2: Whitworth 14, Puget Sound 5 (5 innings)
The Pirates started fast with six runs in the first inning and they did not allow a couple of rain delays to ruin the parade.

Thomas got Whitworth started again with a two-run double in the first.  The Bucs tacked on four more runs in the frame, including RBI doubles by Johnson and Delayna Waite.

Whitworth took advantage of an error to score two runs in the second and got an RBI single by Mattea Nelson for a 9-1 lead.  Julia Dillon, who went 3-3 in the game, had an RBI double in the third.

The Pirates scored four more in the fourth for a 14-2 lead.  Johnson had a two run home run in that rally.

The Loggers tried hard to hold off the eight-run rule in the fifth, scoring three runs.  Sullivan had a two-run homer in that rally.

Momi Lyman (6-1) allowed five runs on five hits over five innings. She struck out four batters. 

Sullivan (1-5) started in the circle for Puget Sound and gave up 14 runs (10 earned) on 15 hits in 3.1 innings.  Gantz threw the final two-thirds of an inning.