By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Mia Lund (Fy., OF, Omaha, NE/Westside HS) led the Willamette University softball team by going 5 for 5 in the first game and 3 for 4 in the second game on Saturday, March 6, but Pacific University won both games, 9-6 and 11-6, in non-conference action at Sherman/Larkins Stadium. Brianna Majors (So., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) and Shaye Mott (So., P/1B, Livermore, CA/Granada HS) each hit a triple for the Bearcats during the doubleheader. Pacific advanced to 3-4 on the season, while Willamette slipped to 1-3.
The first game lasted about four hours and included three rain delays.
Pacific plated three runs in the first on a double by Montana Vaught and two errors by the Bearcats. Willamette cut the margin to 3-1 in the top of the second when Kelsey Wong (Jr., UT, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) doubled to left center, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a double by Lund.
In the bottom of the second, Anika Matsumoto received a leadoff walk and later scored on a one-out single by Nicole Martinez. Kiana Kushiyama batted next and walked, but pitcher Amber Griffith (Jr., UT, Brush Prairie, WA/Hockinson HS) forced two flyouts to leave Matsumoto and Kushiyama on base.
After trailing 4-1, the Bearcats scored twice in the top of the third to pull within one run, as Bailey Hillmick (Sr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEwen HS) and Kendra Knapp (So., OF, Portland, OR/Sunset HS) each crossed the plate. Pacific increased its lead to 7-3 with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Willamette tallied two runs in the fourth inning to reduce the lead to 7-5. Lund singled and Majors hit an RBI triple during the inning. Majors scored on a groundout by Jewel Fleckenstein (Jr., UT, Wasilla, AK/Mat-Su Middle College School). Gianna Marchese (Jr., 3B/1B, Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS/St. Martin's Univ.) doubled, but was left on base.
Pacific tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Sydney Sahlfeld and Makayla Kraemer. Mott singled, stole second, and eventually scored for Willamette in the top of the seventh, but the Bearcats wer unable to complete the rally.
Lund's 5-for-5 performance included a double, a run scored, and one RBI. Marchese was 2 of 4. The Boxers were led by Martinez, who was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Vaught, Sahlfeld, and Hailey Miller each went 2 for 4. Each team amassed 14 hits during the game.
In the second game, the Boxers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, and then Willamette surged into the lead with five runs in the top of the second. Pacific recorded three hits -- all singles -- in the first, while the Bearcats pounded out four hits, including a single by Mott, a double by Marchese, a two-run single by Lund, and an RBI single by Majors. Pacific pulled within 5-4 in the bottom of the second.
Lund drove in Marchese with a single in the third inning to give WU a 6-4 advantage. The Boxers plated a run in the bottom of the stanza with an RBI single by Marcee Nakamura.
Pacific moved in front 8-6 with three runs in the fifth inning and pushed the lead to 11-6 with three runs in the sixth inning. Kushiyama smacked a triple that scored Michelle Winfield in the fifth.
For the game, Kushiyama was 3 of 5 with two runs and three RBIs. Martinez also went 3 for 5, as she scored twice and earned two RBIs. Miller was 3 of 4 with an RBI. Lund capped her great day for Willamette by going 3 of 4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Mott was 2 of 4, hit a triple, and scored one run.
The Bearcats are not scheduled to play again until Saturday, March 13 in a non-conference doubleheader against Lewis & Clark College at the WU Softball Field. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. (PST).
