By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth Pirates will host Pacific Lutheran this weekend in the final four-game Northwest Conference softball series of the season at Diana Marks Field. Saturday's doubleheader will start at noon before a senior day doubleheader on Sunday at 11:00 am.
Check the Whitworth softball schedule page for live links to this weekend's action.
The Pirates: Whitworth (5-25 overall, 5-15 NWC) took one of four games against visiting George Fox last weekend.
The Pirates fell 10-1 and 12-2 in a pair of five-inning losses on Saturday. Teeghan Reams gave the Bucs an early lead after opening the second inning with a solo home run, her first of the year. The Bruins answered with two runs in the third and stretched their lead with three home runs over the next two innings. Kendel Sage and Katie McKinnis each singled in the fifth, but Whitworth could not cut the deficit. The Pirates again scored first in game two, but GFU broke open the game with six runs in the second inning and five in the third, capped off by a grand slam. Megan Highfill's RBI single pushed another run across for the Pirates in the fourth before the Bruins hit their sixth home run of the game in the fifth.
Whitworth fought to a 5-3 game three win on Sunday. The Bucs took a one-run lead two separate times and GFU was able to respond and tie the game both times. With the game locked at three in the sixth, Kennedy Robison started the inning with a single before Sage hit a go-ahead two-run homer over the left field wall. Momi Lyman retired the first three Bruins in the seventh to secure the win while four Pirates collected two hits in the game. In game two, Allison Heater shut down the Whitworth bats in a 6-0 GFU win. A home run put the Bruins up by four in the second. An error in the third and steal of home plate gave GFU a six-run cushion. Heater held a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning until Makena Hofford hit a two-out pinch-hit single.
The Opponents: Pacific Lutheran holds a 19-11 overall record and 9-9 mark in NWC play heading into this weekend. The Lutes swept Pacific (Ore.) last weekend and will battle fourth ranked Linfield in a doubleheader on Wednesday before making the trip to Spokane. PLU is a strong hitting team that ranks second in the conference in hits (297) and third in batting average (.323), runs (211), and home runs (25). The Lutes have a 3.71 team ERA and lead the conference in opponent batting average (.224). Junior Zoe Smithson leads the team with a .456 batting average and 47 hits. Sophomore Kamalani Doctor hits .421 and leads the team with seven home runs. Senior Rachael Rhinehart and sophomore Paige Wilson have each started 11 games in the circle. The Lutes swept the Pirates in a four-game series last season in Tacoma.
Senior Day: The Whitworth senior class will be honored prior to the start of Sunday's games. Momi Lyman, Kennedy Robison, Annie Brose, Katie McKinnis, Kelly Hruza, Jenna Radke, Taylor Hofheins, and Reiss McIntyre will be celebrated for their contributions to Pirate softball.
NWC Standings: Linfield (16-1) remains atop the conference standings with two more weeks to play. Lewis & Clark and George Fox are tied for second at 15-5. Pacific Lutheran (9-8) holds fourth while Willamette (8-12) moved into the fifth. Pacific and Whitworth sit at 5-15 while Puget Sound (4-16) rounds out the standings.
Senior Leaders: A much-improved 2025 season will fall on the shoulders of the Whitworth senior class. Taylor Hofheins has started all 30 games for the Pirates and is third on the team in hits (17). Reagan Ellis leads the team with a .276 batting average and pairs with Kennedy Robison for a dynamic middle infield. Katie McKinnis holds down third base and has a team-leading eight runs scored. Kelly Hruza has made 18 starts behind the plate. In the circle, Momi Lyman has started 16 games and has pitched eight complete games. Reiss McIntyre has struck out 35 hitters in 48 innings pitched.
Immediate Impact: The Pirates have 10 new faces on the 2025 roster, and many could have a big role this season. Junior transfer Teeghan Reams has made 14 appearances in the circle and has started 25 games in the designated player position. Freshman Kendel Sage has started all 30 games for the Pirates and leads the team with nine RBIs. First-years Camryn Sage and Addi Bale each have at least 21 starts on the year. These Pirate newcomers will continue to show their ability to impact games and make winning plays throughout the season.
The Coach: Bob Castle is now in his sixth season as Whitworth's head coach after taking over the program in 2019. He served as an assistant on staff from 2015-2018 and was a part of three Northwest Conference titles. Castle earned his first winning season as head coach in 2022 with a 25-17 record and has guided the Pirates to three NWC tournament appearances.
Looking Ahead: The Pirates will close the regular season with a series at Pacific on May 3rd and 4th.
