Game One
Game Two
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark softball team combined for 19 runs on 26 hits against the Whitworth Pirates on Monday afternoon in a Northwest Conference make-up series. Despite the offensive explosion, the Pirates came out victorious with a 14-12 win in game one and 12-7 victory in the second game of the double-header.
The Pioneers slip to 7-28 on the season and 1-23 in conference action. Whitworth improves to 17-13 overall and 15-7 in the NWC.
Game one was an offensive back and forth with the Pioneers matching the Pirates run for run through the first three innings. Whitworth earned two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Pioneers equalized with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Neither team managed to get on the board in the second inning, however the Pirates broke the deadlock with four innings in the third. Jamie Brunner knocked in the first run with an RBI single to left, before coming around to score later in the inning. Caylan Haehl and Jill Pecka also came around to score in the inning.
Lewis & Clark responded in the home half of the inning with four runs on four hits and Pirate error. Caroline DeVincenzi got things started with her first two-run homerun of the game, picking up Caitlin Basilio who led off the inning with a single to right center. Pitcher Natalie Rose helped her own cause moments later with a two-RBI single to right center that sent Jet'aime Mullins and Caitlin Relyea across the plate.
Kimmi Kumangai put the Pirates in front once again in the top of the fourth with a leadoff homerun. Lewis & Clark responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs for its first lead of the contest.
DeVincenzi once again sent the ball out of the park for her second homerun of the game, this time picking up Jamie Moon from second. Mullins finished the scoring for the Pioneers with solo shot over the fence in left center.
Down 9-7, the Pirates picked up a single run in the fifth on an RBI double from Emily Anderson. Lewis & Clark added to its lead in the home half of the fifth with two more runs to take an 11-8 advantage.
Basilio collected both RBI's in the fifth with a single to right center that allowed Taylor Gatti and Mari McClenahan to come around and score.
Whitworth responded with a huge sixth inning that saw them plate six runs on just three hits. The scoring started on a double to center by Brunner that scored both Hanna Boyd and Sami Parr. Julia Johnson would come in moments later on a Pecka single to right. A wild pitch brought in Brunner before Anderson picked up Pecka with a ground out to the shortstop. Kelsey Burgi ended the scoring with a solo shot over the fence in left field.
The Pioneer bats couldn't get anything done in the bottom of the sixth, but managed a run in the seventh on another RBI single by Basilio. Despite their best effort that would be the only run the Pioneers would earn in their final at bat.
The second game proved to be just as much of an offensive battle with at least one team scoring in one of the seven innings played.
Whitworth once against led off with a two-run first inning, with Brunner knocking in the first run on an RBI double to left. Caty Lieseke came around to score with the next Pirate at-bat as Boyd flew out to center.
Relyea earned a run back for the Pioneers in their half of the inning with a single up the middle that allowed Basilio to score from second.
Heather Hesselgesser stole home in the second inning for another Pirate run, followed by another sacrifice fly to put Whitworth up 4-1.
The Pioneers managed to earn another run back in their half of the second, with Moon knocking in Michaela Satter. The Pioneers pulled within one run in the bottom of the third on a solo homerun from Relyea.
Lieseke earned the run back for Whitworth in the top of the fourth on a double to left field, to give the Pirates two run cushion. Another Pirate run came across in the fifth to put Whitworth up 6-3.
A wild pitch from the Pirate pitcher allowed DeVincenzi to score in the bottom of the fifth. Whitworth regrouped in the top of the sixth with two runs on a double by Lieseke.
Down 8-4, the Pioneers once again pulled within a run of their opponents, plating three runs on four hits in the sixth. Basilio started the scoring for the Pioneers with a single down the right field line that allowed McClenahan and Molly Donahue to score. Basilio would make her way around the bases, eventually crossing the plate on a triple by DeVincenzi.
Undeterred, the Pirates remained patient at the plate and took advantage of some Pioneer miscues in the field to earn four runs back in the seventh. The Pioneers tried to make up the run difference in their final at bat but were unable to score, suffering the 12-7 loss.
Lewis & Clark returns to action on Saturday, April 16 at 12 p.m. when they take on George Fox in Newburg.
