Bearcat Softball Bats Heat up the Spring

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, Ore. -- Led by a powerful and balanced lineup, plus exceptionally quick baserunners, the Willamette University Bearcats closed out the 2015 softball season by batting .380 as a team in the final 24 games, while stealing 75 bases. Willamette finished the year at 16-22 overall, but went 15-9 to end the season.

Myranda Ramirez (Jr./So., CF, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS), the eventual Northwest Conference Softball Player of the Year, topped the offensive surge by batting .500 (39 of 78) down the stretch, including eight doubles and a triple. She was one of nine players who hit at least .395 in the last 24 games, including six players with 70 or more at bats.

Heather Winslow (Sr., 1B, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) hit .479 (34 of 71), while Kayla Rieger (Sr., 3B/OF, Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS/Adelphi Univ.) batted .447 (34 of 76). Ashley Pender (Jr., 2B, Reno, NV/North Valleys HS) added a .429 batting average (33 of 77) and Jenna King (Sr., OF, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo HS) hit .417 (30 of 72).

Amanda Absher (Sr., C, Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS) batted .395 (30 of 76). In addition, Erin Norris (Sr., 3B/C, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) earned a .333 batting average (17 of 51).

Also pounding the ball were Carrie Fox (Fr., LF, Dupont, WA/Steilacoom HS) and Elaine Norcia (Fr., 1B, Santa Ynez, CA/Santa Ynez Valley HS). Fox hit .429 (6 of 14) and Norcia contributed a .400 average (2 of 5).

The Bearcats smacked a total of 51 doubles in the 24 games, led by Absher with nine. The eight doubles from Ramirez were matched by eight more from Winslow. Rieger belted seven doubles, while Pender hit six. Eight different players connected for at least two doubles.

Overall, the offensive outburst by the Bearcats featured 71 extra-base hits, including 13 triples and seven home runs. In contrast, during the first 14 games of the season WU managed just 20 extra-base hits, with only one triple and four homers.

The slugfest by the Bearcats led to some big wins for Willamette.

In two games at University of Puget Sound on March 14, the Bearcats defeated the Loggers 13-7 in nine innings and 15-0 on the run rule in five innings. WU followed up with four games in Idaho, including three wins.

After falling to Northwest Nazarene University in the first game, 9-3, on March 24, the Bearcats defeated College of Idaho, 8-3. One day later, Willamette downed Northwest Nazarene 10-6, before concluding the trip with a 21-12 rout of NNU in six innings.

"After a slower start than we wanted to have, we really came together offensively and played the way we knew we could," Absher said. "We had a lot more confidence at the plate after the trip to Idaho, and we were able to execute offensively."

Later WU downed Pacific Lutehran University, 9-1 in five innings and 15-7 in six innings, before adding two run-rule shutouts of Puget Sound, 9-0 and 8-0. The Bearcats tallied six or more runs 13 times in the final 24 match-ups and went 10-3 in those games.

The Bearcats also won a couple of close, low-scoring games. WU edged out George Fox University, 3-2 in eight innings, on March 28, and slipped past nationally-ranked Linfield College, 1-0, on April 18. Pender singled and later scoring the winning run against the Bruins, while Ramirez walked and eventually scored on a single by Absher in the win over the Wildcats.

Already a quick team with successful baserunners -- WU was 31 of 38 on stolen bases prior the offensive surge -- the Bearcats became even more of a threat on the bases. Willamette stole 75 bases on 95 attempts to complete the season, finishing 106 of 133 overall. Winslow was 22 of 27 during the 24-game streak and finished 30 of 38 for the season.

Ramirez stole 13 bases on 19 attempts this spring and Rieger was 16 for 17. Pender finished 11 of 11, while King went 15 of 17. During the season-ending outburst, Ramirez was 12 of 17, King went 10 of 11, Rieger was 9 for 10, and Pender was 9 for 9.

"Everyone had a lot of fun and confidence during their at bats, which was the reason for our success," Absher noted. "Top to bottom, our lineup was always dangerous, and we truly believed that any player up to the plate was going to be successful. Heather Winslow, Myranda Ramirez, Jenna King, Ashley Pender and Kayla Rieger really were terrific at the plate, and led to our strong end of the season."