Western Oregon used the long ball to take the early lead in both games on Saturday’s GNAC softball doubleheader and then held on as Seattle University failed to convert on several chances, as the Wolves swept the Redhawks, 2-1 and 4-3, at Logan Field.
In the first game, pitcher Katie Fleer helped her own cause with a two-run home run in the second inning. She then earned her tenth victory of the season, scattering eight hits and three walks while striking out six SeattleU batters.
The Redhawks cut the Wolves’ lead in half in the fourth inning thanks to doubles by Kaha Weir (, ) and Jessica Amador (). loaded the bases in both the fifth and the sixth innings, but Fleer induced three groundouts to end those rallies. Erin Martin () took the loss in the game, allowing seven hits, but only two of those hits came in the final four innings.
Jessica Hallmark hit her fourth home run of the season in the first inning of the second game to give (18-14, 7-5 GNAC) the early lead. With two outs in the third inning, singles by Kristin Maglasang, Hallmark, and Trina Dorn increased the Wolves’ lead to 2-0, and it would stretch further in the fifth as Tyler Sutherland doubled and scored on Hallmark’s single.
again loaded the bases with one out in the fourth inning, but again could not convert on the opportunity. In the fifth inning, Katie Gould (, ) reached on an error and Katie Antich (, ) singled. After two outs, Jane Purdy (, ) hit a long fly ball to left-center field that hit the tubing at the top of the fence and bounced back into the field, earning a double that drove in Gould and Antich and cut ’s lead to 3-2.
The Redhawks again failed to score in the sixth inning after loading the bases with one out. In the seventh inning, Purdy singled, Weir was hit by a pitch, and Brenda Stice (, ) walked to jam the bases with one out. Katie Fleer was brought on in relief and struck out the next SeattleU batter, but a wild pitch allowed pinch runner Cassie Cueto () to score and tie the game at 3-3, sending it into extra innings.
With two outs and a runner at first in the ninth inning, Sutherland singled, and Maglasang followed with a single that scored Whitney Lee. Fleer set down the SeattleU side in the bottom of the ninth to pick up her second victory of the day. Kelsey Reynolds (, ) pitched the entire game for , allowing ten hits, two walks, and four runs while striking out five batters.
Antich caused havoc at the top of the order, going 5-for-9 with a run scored and her 19th stolen base of the season, tying the single season record originally set by Annette Gaeth in 2002. Purdy continued her hot batting from the previous day, finishing 4-for-8 with two doubles and two runs batted in.
Seattle University (26-8-1, 8-4 GNAC) will look for its first victory against Western Oregon this season in a single non-conference game Sunday, April 13, beginning at 12 noon at Logan Field.