By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
TACOMA, Wash. -- Brianna Majors (So., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) belted a solo home run for Willamette University in the second game of a tripleheader in softball, leading the Bearcats to a 10-5 win over Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, March 20 at the PLU Softball Field. The Lutes won the first game, 8-0, and claimed the third game, 14-2, both on the run rule in five innings. The teams will complete the four-game Northwest Conference series with one game on Sunday, March 21.
Pacific Lutheran ended the day at 5-6 for the year, 2-1 in the NWC. Willamette moved to 2-7 on the season, 1-2 in the NWC.
Majors also hit a double and two singles in Willamette's victory, as she went 4 for 4 during the game with three runs and three RBIs.
In the first game, Pacific Lutheran scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lutes earned four hits and took advantage of two errors during the stanza. Cailey Collado drove in the first two runs with a homer to left field. Erin McGrath followed with a double and later scored on a single by Casey Wright. Two runs scored on a double by Anna Foster. The final run was scored by Foster when Chaella Galapon reached base on a throwing error.
The Lutes added two runs in the third inning for an 8-0 lead. Galapon scored one of the runs by hitting a home run with one out. Rayna Mekaru walked and later scored on an error.
PLU pitcher Kennedy Robillard tossed all five innings in the first game and improved to 3-0 with the win. She struck out six batters, allowed just three hits, and did not give up a run. Shaye Mott (So., P/1B, Livermore, CA/Granada HS) pitched the entire game for WU. Mott hit a double on offense, while Mia Lund (Fy., OF, Omaha, NE/Westside HS) and Marykate DeLuca (So., C, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) each provided Willamette with a single.
Foster was 2 for 2 at the plate with a run and two RBIs for the Lutes. McGrath went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Willamette trailed 1-0 in the second game after Mari Foster doubled and scored for PLU on a single by Collado in the third inning. The Bearcats countered with a huge 9-run inning in the top of the fourth. Willamette's offensive surge featured 2-run singles by Jewel Fleckenstein (Jr., UT, Wasilla, AK/Mat-Su Middle College School), Majors, and Kendra Knapp (So., OF, Portland, OR/Sunset HS). The Bearcats accumulated seven hits during the inning.
PLU cut the margin to 9-2 with a run during the fifth inning. In the top of the seventh scored its 10th run on a solo homer by Majors. The Lutes plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to get closer, as Willamette evened the series with a 10-5 win.
Majors' 4-for-4 performance led the way in the Bearcats' victory. Seven other WU players each contributed one hit. Mari Foster and McGrath were both 3 of 4 for the Lutes. Mott, who pitched the final 4 2/3 innings registered the win for Willamette. Z Ellis suffered the loss for the Lutes.
The Lutes tallied four runs in the first inning of the third game. Two Willamette errors aided PLU, which also recorded singles from Collado and Wright. Pacific Lutheran added four runs in the second inning for an 8-0 lead after Mari Foster opened the stanza with a solo home run. McGrath, Molly House, and Wright each connected for a double during the inning.
Pacific Lutheran pushed six runs across the plate in the bottom of the third. McGrath hit an RBI single, Wright belted a grand slam and Anna Foster provided a solo home run. WU scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but were unable to prevent the run rule. Cora Erickson (Fy., Issaquah, WA/Issaquah HS) drove in one run on a groundout. Lund supplied an RBI single.
House pitched all five innings in the third game to get the win for PLU. Willamette starter Bailey Hillmick (Sr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEwen HS) received the loss for the Bearcats. Wright went 3 of 3 for the Lutes with a homer, a double, three runs, and six RBIs. Knapp was 2 for 2 at the plate for Willamette with a run scored.
