Willamette and PLU Battle in both Games, but Lutes Win on Walk-off Homers

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University and Pacific Lutheran University battled each other throughout a doubleheader on Friday, March 11, as both teams displayed grit and fortitude. The Bearcats were tied with PLU entering the bottom of the last inning in both games, but the Lutes hit a walk-off, two-run homer in each contest. Pacific Lutheran won the opener, 8-6, and edged out the Bearcats in the second game, 5-3 in eight innings. Both game-winning hits were recorded with two outs.

PLU advanced its record to 14-8 on the season, 6-4 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette slipped to 5-9 overall, 3-6 in the NWC. Due to rain in the forecast for this weekend, the remaining two games in the series will be played on Sunday, March 27 in Tacoma.

Cosler Hits a 3-Run Homer for Bearcats in First Game

The first game of Friday's doubleheader was scoreless after two-and-a-half innings but finished as a high-scoring contest. Pacific Lutheran outhit the Bearcats 12-6, but Willamette was competitive into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Pacific Lutheran grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Kamryn Adkins hit a double to center. Cailey Collado pinch-ran and reached third base on a wild pitch. With one out, Chaella Galapon walked and stole second. With two outs, Collado scored on a wild pitch and Galapon advanced to third. Erin McGrath drove in Galapon with a single.

The Lutes used three hits in the fourth inning to score one run for a 3-0 lead. Galapon hit an infield single toward shortstop with the bases-loaded to bring in the run with one out. PLU left three runners on base.

Willamette moved in front 4-3 with four runs in the top of the fourth. With two outs, a walk and a stolen base by Brianna Majors (Jr., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS), plus an infield single by Adele Benny (Jr., OF, Bee Cave, TX/Lake Travis HS), set up the first score. Majors reached home on a double-steal. Mia Lund (So., CF, Omaha, NE/Westside HS) walked and then Cassie Cosler (Sr., 1B, Albany, OR/West Albany HS) gave WU the lead with a 3-run blast over the right field fence.

The Bearcats added a run in the top of the sixth. Bailey Hillmick (Sr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEwen HS) walked and Kelsey Wong (Sr., UT, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) pinch-ran. A sacrifice bunt by Jordyn Johnson (So., P, Winslow, AZ/Winslow HS) moved Wong to second base, and a ground out by Hannah Porter (Jr., UT, Chehalis, WA/Centralia HS) sent Wong to third. Wong scored when Faith Collar (Fy., P/UT, Portland, OR/Roosevelt HS) reached base on a fielding error at shortstop.

PLU regained the lead at 6-5 by plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Two runners scored on a home run to left field by Mari Foster. The third run scored on a single by Sarah Potwin. Benny hit a single up the middle to start the seventh inning for the Bearcats. She stole second base and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lund. Benny scored when Cosler sent a sacrifice fly to right field, leaving the game tied at 6-6.

The Lutes scored the winning runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Adkins singled to left. Raynna Mekaru hit a foul ball near left field that was caught for the second out. Galapon batted next and hit a 2-run homer.

During the game, Galapon and Adkins each went 3 for 4 at the plate for PLU. Galapon scored three runs while adding a walk and two RBIs. She hit for three-fourths of the cycle, missing only a triple. Adkins hit a double and scored one run. Benny was 2 of 3 with two runs scored for the Bearcats.

Four Willamette Players each Earn Two Hits in Second Game

Cosler, Lund, Majors, and Marykate DeLuca (Jr., C, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) each registered two hits in the second game. The Bearcats outhit the Lutes, 9-7.

Both teams pushed across three runs in the third inning. For the Bearcats, Major, Lund, and Cosler all contributed a single. Major's since with one out to move Sophia Lucio (So., OF, Martinez, CA/College Park HS) from first to second. With two outs, Lund drove in Lucio with a single to left. Majors went to third on the play and Lund reached second on the throw. Cosler followed with a 2-run single to right.

With one out in the bottom of the third, Brooke Tilson hit into a single and an error to drive in one earned run and one unearned run. Tilson, who went to third on the play, scored on a sacrifice fly by Galapon to tie the score at 3-3.

Neither team scored again in regulation, but both teams left the bases loaded in the sixth and put a runner into scoring position in the seventh. PLU pitcher Cassidy Conrad forced a groundout to escape the top of the sixth, and WU pitcher Kenna Davis (Fy., 3B/SS/P, Alameda, CA/Alameda HS) caused a pop-up to second base to end the bottom of the sixth.

In the top of the seventh, Majors singled through the left side and stole second base, but a flyout, a strikeout, and a lineout ended the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Emma Ware walked with one out, but pinch-runner Arabella Perez was thrown out stealing second. Tilson belted a double to center, but was left on base when Galapon flied out to right.

Mari Foster singled for PLU to begin the bottom of the eighth inning. Two outs later, with Foster still at first base, Sarah Potwin hit a two-run homer to end the game.

Conrad improved to 3-1 with the complete-game win. Davis also tossed a complete game while falling to 2-2.