Bearcats Sweep Doubleheader from Corban, 9-0 and 10-0

Salem, Ore. - Taking advantage of balanced hitting and strong pitching, Willamette Softball swept a pair of games from Corban University, winning 9-0 and 10-0 on Saturday.  Each game lasted the minimum five innings with the Bearcats having a lead of eight runs or more after the top of the fifth.

Willamette scored all nine of its runs in game one in the first inning.  After Kenna Davis put the Warriors down in order in the top of the first, Mia Rogers started a string of seven straight singles for the Bearcats that brought in the first five runs.  Mia Lund then contributed the first extra-base hit for Willamette, scoring another run.  After two more singles, Emma Elliott plated the final two runs of the inning with a double to left center that scored Lund and Maris Pinheiro.  

Davis pitched the second inning and struck out a total of four batters before turning the ball over to Elizabeth Hillier to start the third.  Hillier gave up two hits the rest of the way, but Corban wasn't able to get a runner past second base thanks to the strong Bearcat defense.

Every Willamette starter managed at least one hit in game one, with Rogers and Elliott each with two.  Elliott and Maggie Fleischmann led the way with two runs batted in each and nine different players scored for Willamette.

In game two, Willamette again took an early lead. Alexandra Richards led off with a double down the left field line, followed by walks to Mia Rogers and Emma Elliott. After Fleischmann's walk scored the first run, Faith Collar singled to right to score two more runs and give the Bearcats a 3-0 lead after one inning.

Abigail Loomis kept the Warriors at bay in the top of each inning and Willamette added two more runs in the bottom of the third on a single by Fleischmann and sac fly by Collar.  After another 1-2-3 top of the fourth, the Bearcats broke it open in the bottom of the fourth by scoring five more runs, the big hit a two-run double by Kawehi Liu, who scored later in the inning on another sac fly from Collar.  

Loomis shut down Corban in the fifth to close out the game and complete the four-hit shutout for her first win of the season.

The Bearcats are off next weekend but will return to action on Saturday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 9th, when they will begin Northwest Conference play by hosting Lewis & Clark College.