By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University softball games that were rained out this past weekend in Tacoma, Wash., have been rescheduled. The Bearcats will play a doubleheader at Pacific Lutheran University on Tuesday, April 10, with the first game getting underway at 2 p.m. (PDT). Willamette will play one game at the University of Puget Sound on Wednesday, April 11, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Willamette and Pacific Lutheran were rained out of both games scheduled for Saturday, March 31, and the Bearcats played just one of two games against the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, April 1. Willamette won the completed game 10-0 on the run rule in five innings. The second game was barely started -- three pitches were thrown -- before it was suspended due to the weather.

Before making up the games, Willamette will host Whitworth University in a pair of doubleheaders this weekend. On Friday, April 6, the Bearcats will take on the Pirates in the first doubleheader, set to begin at 12 p.m. (PDT). On Saturday, April 6, the teams will play the final two games of the four-game series, with another 12 p.m. start. All four games will be played at the WU Softball Field.

Heading into the weekend, Pacific Lutheran is in second place in the NWC standings, one-half game in front of the Bearcats. PLU is 14-4 in the conference, while Willamette owns a 13-4 record. Both teams trail defending champion Linfield College, which is 18-2 in the NWC.

The top four teams in the final standings will qualify for the Northwest Conference Tournament, scheduled for April 21-22 at the home field of the regular season champion.

PLU swept a doubleheader from the Bearcats in Salem, Ore., on March 10, winning a close game in the opener, 4-3, before taking the second game, 7-3. The Bearcats won two games against Puget Sound on March 25 in Salem, claiming the first victory in a pitchers' duel, 2-0, before winning Game #2, 10-2 on the run rule in five innings.

Willamette holds a 14-8 overall record. The Bearcats are 7-0 since March 17.