March 3, 2007

Lutes Sweep George Fox in NWC Softball Opener

Game One Line Score
Game Two Line Score

Alana Schutt - homer, three RBI in opener

Missy Waldron - three hits in second game

TACOMA, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran opened its 2007 Northwest Conference softball schedule with a doubleheader sweep of visiting George Fox on Saturday afternoon at the PLU field. The Lutes took a pair of 7-0 wins from the Bruins.

With the victories, PLU improves to 4-0 for the season, while the Bruins are now 2-8 for the season and 0-2 in the conference.

For the second straight doubleheader, the Lutes got solid pitching from a pair of freshman from Oregon. Just six days after sweeping a pair of 5-2 decisions from Saint Martin’s, PLU rode the arms of Hadley Schmitt and Cassie Canales to this twinbill sweep.

Schmitt, who played at Gaston High School, was outstanding in the opener, giving up just three hits while striking out four and walking none. After retiring the first nine batters, she faced her only real trouble in the fourth inning. Kerstyn Tsuruda opened the inning with a double, and Nikki Morrison followed with a pop-fly single to left field. Kayla Winkler reached first on Schmitt’s error, loading the bases with no outs. Schmitt got out of it when Tsuruda was cut down at the plate on a grounder to shortstop Theresa Tauscher, Katie Yoder popped out to catcher Vanessa Bryant, and Haley Harnish-Stadden struck out.

After going out in order each of the first three frames, the Lutes finally broke through with the long ball in the fourth. Heather Walling reached on an infield single, and two outs later came in on a home run over the leftfield wall by Alana Schutt. An inning later, the Lutes again used the long ball to score a pair of runs. Schmitt singled and came in on a homer to left by Beth Kenck.

PLU added three more runs in the sixth inning on RBI doubles by Schutt and Shelby Johnston and a run-scoring single by Schmitt.

Schutt and Schmitt both had a pair of hits and Schutt collected three RBI in the game. The Lutes finished with seven hits and did not leave a runner on base. George Fox starter Kayla Winkler allowed six earned runs on five hits while fanning six in dropping to 2-3 this season.

Canales was rock-solid for the Lutes in the second game, giving up just four hits while striking out four and walking one. The David Douglas High School product retired the order in the first three innings and allowed only two Bruins to get as far as second base.

The Lutes had no trouble getting hits in the second game with 14, but they did leave a total of 12 runners on base.

PLU scored its first two runs on passed balls in the first and third innings, and finally broke the game open with a four-run rally in the fifth inning. Canales drove in the first run with a double, and the other runs scored on two fielder’s choices and a sacrifice fly. The Lutes scored their final run in the sixth on an RBI single by Missy Waldron.

Waldron, a slap hitter, led the Lutes’ 14-hit attack with three infield singles. Walling, Carly Starke, Canales and Karen Henjum all collected a pair of hits to aid the cause.

For the Bruins, Morrison had a pair of hits to finish the day with three hits in six at-bats. Megan McCleery made her first pitching appearance of the season and took the loss in the second game, allowing six runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Both teams return to Northwest Conference action at noon on Sunday. The Lutes play host to the Lewis & Clark Pioneers and the Bruins travel across town to battle the Puget Sound Loggers.

- PLU -