TACOMA, Wash.—For the second-straight day, Lewis & Clark College got a strong performance from Alyssa Abe in the circle and a key hit from Riley Anderson to earn a doubleheader split with host University of Puget Sound.  

"We came back to play with similar struggles at the plate today," head coach Shawna Cyrus said. "We put together such a gutsy and gritty comeback performance in game two. Abe continued to dominate in the circle and our hitters figured how to get it done in the end. Our team played with a lot of passion and fight to finish the series." 

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GAME ONE KEY MOMENTS: 7-0 PUGET SOUND  

Puget Sound's Kelsie Sullivan limited the Pioneers to just three singles and three walks in a 7-0 Loggers game one victory. 

Sullivan struck out four and only allowed multiple baserunners in two of the seven innings. 

The Loggers offense provided her more than enough support, as Puget Sound hit two home runs and five doubles in the victory. 

Puget Sound took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second and added a single run in the third and two more in the fifth. 

Lewis & Clark had their best chance to score in the fourth inning. Lilly Moffitt opened the inning with a single and Mari Alvarez followed with a walk. Moffitt moved to third on an Olivia Brackin flyout but Sullivan got out of the inning without a lineout to right field. 

GAME TWO KEY MOMENTS: LEWIS & CLARK 4-3 (8 INNINGS)

Abe allowed just two earned runs over eighth innings and Anderson drove in Olivia Brackin with an RBI single in the top of the eighth inning to secure the win. 

Abe was fantastic in the circle to earn her second win of the weekend. The junior struck out a season-high seven batters and allowed just nine hits, three runs (two earned) over eight innings. 

Offensively, Brackin and Anderson were the stars. Brackin finished 2-4 with two runs, two RBI and a home run. Anderson only had the one hit, but it proved to be the game-winner. 

Alyssa Hoeke added two hits in three at-bats and also tacked on a stolen base and a run scored. 

Lewis & Clark jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Alvarez opened the game with a walk and raced over to third on a Loggers error. She scampered home on a second Puget Sound error. Savannah Smith and the Loggers defense would calm down from there and keep Lewis & Clark to just the one run in the inning. 

In the third, Hoeke led off the inning with a single and was standing on second with two outs. She was able to trot home after Brackin crushed a two-run home run. 

Puget Sound answered back with a single run in the third and two more in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. 

Lewis & Clark took the lead for good in the top of the eighth. With two outs in the inning and no one on, Brackin singled, moved to second on a Samantha Gildersleeve single and raced home with the go-ahead run on Anderson's game-winning RBI single. 

Abe retired the Loggers one-two-three in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the conference split for the Pioneers.  

DEEPER LOOK 

• Abe went 2-2 in the four-game set against Puget Sound and threw 19 of the 27 innings. She struck out 16 batters and allowed just two walks and gave up five earned runs (1.84 ERA).
• Lewis & Clark has split each of their past three doubleheaders. 
• Anderson finished the week 6-17 with three home runs, seven RBI and three walks. She earned her first six collegiate starts this week. 
• Abe has earned all six of the Pioneers (6-6) wins this season. 
• Brackin moved intio a three-way tie for first (Gildersleeve and Anderson) with her three home runs this season. 

LOOKING AHEAD 

Softball will host Pacific Lutheran next weekend for a four-game conference series. The Pioneers will kick off the weekend at Noon on Saturday with their 2022 NWC home opener.