Tacoma, Wash. - The Willamette University Bearcats and the University of Puget Sound Loggers played a couple of low-scoring softball games on Friday with the home team coming away with two wins, 2-1 in 11 innings in game one and 4-1 in game two. Kenna Davis pitched all eleven innings in the opening game and struck out 14 Loggers despite taking the loss.
The Bearcats struck first in the opening game when Faith Collar singled to lead off the inning and stole second base to get into scoring position. After a groundout, Mia Rogers stroked a single to left to score Collar and give Willamette a 1-0 lead.
Puget Sound was able to tie the game in the bottom of the third after the leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and came home on a two-out double to knot the score at 1-1. That run would be the last for each team for the next 7 ½ innings.
The Bearcats threatened in the fifth when Mia Lund singled with two outs and stole both second and third, but was stranded there to end the inning. Then in the sixth, Willamette loaded the bases with one out and appeared the take the lead on a sacrifice fly by Mia Rogers, but the Loggers appealed that the runner on third had left early and Clara Woolsey was ruled out on the play to end the inning.
Willamette had another opportunity to score in the ninth when Rogers opened the inning with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Karsen Angel, and stole third with just one out. Pinch hitter Emma Elliott hit a hard ground ball to second and Rogers was thrown out trying to score.
Puget Sound had not put together many scoring opportunities against Davis, but in the bottom of the 11th, they singled with one out and the winning run came home on a long double to left center.
In game two, it was the Loggers who struck first, scoring runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, and adding two more in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. Willamette loaded the bases in the fourth and was unable to score and mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh when Rogers led off with a single and scored on an RBI single by Woolsey after Jessica Liu had walked. With the score 4-1 and the tying run at the plate, the Bearcats grounded out and flew into a double play to end the game.
Rogers had five hits on the day to lead the Bearcats. Rogers, Mia Lund, Alexandra Richards, Desirae Hatfield, and Faith Collar all had two hits in the opening game. Lund, Liu, and Jordan Cresswell all added hits in game two for Willamette.
The Bearcats will wrap up the weekend series with the Loggers with another doubleheader on Saturday, April 19th. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 11:00 am.
