By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- In a pitcher's duel that limited batters to just 11 hits, Kendra Knapp (Grad., RF, Portland, OR/Sunset HS) earned two of the hits for Willamette University, but Pacific Lutheran University won 2-0, in an elimination game at the 2024 Northwest Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday, May 11 at Del Smith Stadium. Both teams hit the ball better than the stats would indicate, but there were several line-drive outs recorded by the Bearcats and by the Lutes.
PLU pitcher Rachel Treves improved to 4-5 with the win after allowing just four hits and no walks. She registered two strikeouts. WU starter Jordyn Johnson (Sr., P, Winslow, AZ/Winslow HS) tossed 3 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Relief pitcher Kenna Davis (Jr., P/3B, Alameda, CA/Alameda HS) of Willamette allowed no runs and only one hit in the final 2 2/3 innings. The Lutes scored one run in the third inning and one run in the fourth.
Willamette ended its season with a 17-23 overall record, including 13-15 in the NWC during the regular season. The Bearcats moved into NWC Tournament contention by winning nine consecutive games between April 14 and May 1.
Pacific Lutheran improved its record to 24-18 and moved into another elimination game set for Saturday night against Lewis & Clark College. The winner of that game will take on regular season champion Linfield University on Sunday, May 12 in the NWC Championship game(s). If the winner between PLU and L&C defeats Linfield in the first game on Sunday at 12 p.m. PDT, it will be the Wildcats' first loss in the double elimination tournament, and a second game will be played at 2:30 p.m. to determine the champion.
The Bearcats finished with four hits. Knapp was 2 of 3, while Brianna Majors (Grad., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) and Desirae Hatfield (Fy., INF, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) both went 1 for 3. Pacific Lutheran achieved seven hits, led by Paola Garcia and Zoe Smithson, who each went 2 for 3. Smithson scored a run and Garcia registered an RBI. Also contributing a hit for PLU were Rylie Wada and Brook Tilson with doubles, and Casey Wright with a single.
In the bottom of the third, there were two outs when Wada belted her double to right center. Garica singled to left field to bring Wada across the plate, as the Lutes grabbed a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Smithson singled with one out and stole second base. She moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored on Tilson's double.
Willamette's best opportunity to score was in the top of the fourth, when Majors singled to right field with one out. Hatfield flied out for the second out of the inning, but Knapp followed with a single to send Majors to third. Jenna Hopkins (Fy., INF, Mt. Angel, OR/John F. Kennedy HS) pounded a line-drive into play, but Kassidi Dean caught the ball while playing several yards away from third base.
Both teams kept the fielders busy with a total of 22 flyouts -- 11 by each team. For Willamette, Emma Elliott (So., OF, Battle Ground, WA/Battle Ground HS) caught four fly balls in left field, Knapp hauled in three fly balls in right field, and Mia Lund (Sr., OF/UT, Omaha, NE/Westside HS) caught two fly balls in center field. Elliott and Lund each made two impressive catches to stop line drives or by covering significant ground to make the play.
Elliott concluded the season with a .327 batting average, led the team with seven homers and three triples, and tied for the team lead with nine doubles. Johnson ended the year with a 3.42 earned run average and 84 strikeouts in 98 1/3 innings pitched. She completed her career ranked third on Willamette's all-time list with 210 strikeouts. Johnson pitched a total of 285 innings.
