SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth softball managed a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Puget Sound, losing game one 5-3 before winning game two 7-1.
The Pirates (8-18, 4-10) NWC missed a golden opportunity to make up ground on Puget Sound (7-15, 5-9 NWC) as they blew a three-run lead in game one, but they managed to draw even on the day thanks to a strong outing from Momi Lyman in game two.
Whitworth jumped Pacific in the conference standings, but remains a game out of fourth going into Sunday, UPS holds that spot after a pair of losses by Pacific Lutheran.
Whitworth will look to win its first series tomorrow (they've only split or lost to this point), but they'll need a sweep to do so. The first pitch of Sunday's doubleheader at Diana Marks field will be at 11 a.m.
Game 1 – Puget Sound 5, Whitworth 3
A five-run fifth inning by UPS tarnished an otherwise clean day from the Pirate defense and lifted the Loggers past Whitworth 5-3 in game one.
Aislinn O'Reilly (1-5) overcame six errors by her defense and pitched six innings allowing just two earned runs and stranding eight Whitworth base runners. Corinne Vasiloff (4-9) pitched her third consecutive complete game and struck out six, but a strong showing was overcome by a costly fifth inning.
Whitworth took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning, but the Loggers opened up the floodgates on Vasiloff to switch the momentum. UPS loaded the bases on a single and two walks, before stringing together three hits including a base clearing double by Claire Besancon to put the Pirates in a 5-3 hole. It was the only hit of the game for Bescanon, and it became the eventual game-winner as the Loggers didn't need another run.
The Pirates threatened in the seventh inning as Ellis led it off with a walk before an error allowed Julia Dillon to reach first. But with runners on the corners and two away, Rusconi was retired on a deep fly ball to center to seal Whitworth's fourth straight loss.
Things looked good for the Pirates early on; they capitalized on three Logger errors in the first three innings on their way to a 3-0 lead. Jazz Johnson's single to shallow left ended up scoring Reagan Ellis after it was mishandled in the outfield, and in the third Dillon reached second on a missed exchange from short stop to second, and a single from Kylie Koszykowski scored her two batters later to put the Pirates up 3-0.
Kosyzkowski finished 2-3 at the plate with that RBI, Johnson batted 2-4 with an RBI in the loss. Both teams posted eight hits, but Bescanon's double was the only extra base hit of the game.
Game 2 – Whitworth 7, Puget Sound 1
Lyman delivered her strongest outing of conference play pitching, striking out eight batters and allowing just one run in a complete game of work, and Whitworth used a four-run third inning highlighted by Rusconi's line drive double to get a win in game two.
Whitworth broke open a scoreless game in the third with three hits and some help from an error. Addie Johnson scored when UPS first baseman Jessica Moore bobbled a throw across the diamond, Dillon singled to right center to score Montoya before Rusconi broke the inning open with a screaming line drive into the gap to drive in two runners and put the Pirates up 4-0.
Dillon led off the fifth with a bloop double down the right field line and stole home a batter later, on a double steal with runners on the corners. Dillon hit 2-3 in the game with an RBI while scoring three times herself.
The Pirates put the game on ice with a pair of runs in the sixth, Kate McKinnis walked before finding her way home on a wild pitch. Dillon walked and Rusconi brought her home with a triple to right field swelling Whitworth's lead to 7-1.
Rusconi finished 3-3 with three RBIs including a double and a triple to spark the offense. She's batting .313 on the season now with 13 RBIs.
Nyomi Estrada got the start for Puget Sound but allowed three runs in the third and was replaced after just 2.1 innings of work by Alison Madia who lasted just two innings herself before O'Reilly finished off the final 1.2 innings.
