Bearcats Fall to St. Katherine in Doubleheader, 7-2 and 5-3

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CLAREMONT, Calif. -- Willamette University and University of St. Katherine (Calif.) combined for 40 hits in two games on Wednesday, March 28. St. Katherine earned a 12-9 edge in hits in the first game and held an 11-8 margin in the second game, as the Firebirds defeated the Bearcats 7-2 and 5-3 at the Pomona-Pitzer Softball Field. St. Katherine improved to 11-22 on the season, while Willamette fell to 3-18.

Along the way, several young players on the Willamette roster picked up hits for the Bearcats for the first time.

"Olivia Scott, Katie Schmitt and Kaitlyn Wells each collected their first collegiate hits today," Willamette Head Coach Damian Williams said.

In fact, Olivia Scott (So., C, San Francisco, CA/Lowell HS) picked up three hits. Scott, a catcher who often plays on defense or pinch-runs, is now batting .300 for the season (3 for 10) after going 3 for 7 against the Firebirds. Katie Schmitt (Fr., SS, El Dorado Hills, CA/Oak Ridge HS) picked up a hit in the first game and Kaitlyn Wells (Fr., UT, Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas HS) recorded a hit in the second game.

Jocelyn Glasgo (So., P/OF, Rochester, WA/Tumwater HS) led Willamette's offensive effort. In the first game, she was 1 for 2 with a walk and a triple. In the second game, she went 3 for 4. Glasgo upped her season batting average to .423, including a team-high five triples.

Danielle Koontz (Fr., 2B, Cupertino, CA/Monta Vista HS) was 2 for 4 with a run scored in the first game for the Bearcats, while Breianna Mcleod (Fr., SS/UT, Kailua Kona, HI/West Hawaii Explorations Acad.) went 2 of 4. In the second game, Bailey Hillmick (Fr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEween HS) went 2 of 3, was hit by a pitch, scored once and earned two RBIs.

Hanna Mehok of St. Katherine was 5 for 7 during the twinbill with a double and a home run. She was 2 for 3 with a double, three runs and two RBIs in the opener. She went 3 for 4 with a homer, a run and two RBIs in the second game. Other leading Firebirds in the first game were Marilyn Brackens, who was 3 for 3 with two runs, Angela Ackerman, who went 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI, and Miranda Gil, who was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. In the second game, Kyla Jones was 3 of 4 and Erika Nungaray went 2 for 3.

Firebirds Rally from 2-1 Deficit for 7-2 Win in First Game

Willamette took a 2-1 lead in the opener by scoring twice in the third inning. Scott began the stanza with a single up the middle, before stealing second and third base. Koontz followed with a bunt single. A wild pitch allowed Scott to score and moved Koontz to second. Mcleod added a bunt single to advance Koontz to third. On a double-steal, Koontz scored, but Mcleod was thrown out at second. Glasgo walked and Sofia Magnani (So., P/OF, Belmont, CA/Notre Dame HS) singled, but both runners were left on base.

The Firebird moved back in front with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brackens, who singled with one out, and Mehok, who was hit by a pitch, both scored later in the inning on a single by Miranda Gil. The run by Mehok was unearned due to a passed ball earlier in the inning.

Int he fourth inning, St. Katherine posted three runs on the scoreboard. Mehok drove in two runs with a double to left center. Ackerman also doubled to left left to bring home Mehok with the third run for a 6-2 lead. Mitchiner added an RBI double in the sixth inning to send the final run across the plate.

St. Katherine's Holds Off Bearcats in Second Game for 5-3 Victory

Willamette and St. Katherine's were tied at 3-3 after two innings in the second game, but the Firebirds scored one run in the top of the fourth and one run in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. The Firebirds then held off Willamette, forcing the Bearcats to leave two runners on base in each of their last two at bats.

The Bearcats scored one run in the bottom of the first. Bailey Hillmick (Fr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEween HS) was hit by a pitch with one out. Glasgo singled to left center and went to second on the throw, as Hillmick reached third. Magnani drove in Hillmick with a single up the middle. Later, Kea Gier (So., 3B, Kaneohe, HI/Iolani School) walked with two outs to load the bases. Glasgo was forced out at the plate when Scott hit into a fielder's choice.

Two errors led to three unearned runs for the Firebirds in the second. Sabrina Gonzales reached first on a dropped fly ball in center field. Gonzales went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Erika Nungaray. Mitchiner reached base on a fielding error at third. With two outs, Brackens hit two-RBI single to center. Brackens crossed the plate later on a double-steal.

Willamette bounced back quickly, plating two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Wells singled up the middle and Mcleod walked. A passed ball advanced the runners before Hillmick hit a two-RBI single through the right side to tie the game. Glasgo singled and Vanessa Almaraz (So., OF, Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley HS) was hit by a pitch with two outs, but pitcher Karley Turner forced Gier to ground out.

Mitchiner reached base on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning and later scored from third on a two-out single by Mehok. With one out in the sixth, Mehok smacked a solo home run to right center to increase St. Katherine's lead to 5-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hillmick singled with one out and stole second base. One out later, Magnani walked and Hillmick stole third. Alamraz grounded out to end the inning. In the seventh, Gier reached base on an error at shortstop to begin the inning. Scott grounded out, but Gier advanced to third. Wells received a walk with two outs, sending the potential winning run to the plate. Jones recorded the game's final out when Mcleod hit a grounder toward first.

Up Next for the Bearcats

Willamette will host Pacific Lutheran University in a four-game Northwest Conference series this weekend. On Friday, March 30, the teams will play a doubleheader at WU Softball Field starting at 12 p.m. (PDT). The Bearcats and the Lutes will play another doubleheader on Saturday, March 31, also at 12 p.m.