March 19, 2008

SOFTBALL: Conference Schedule Heats Up for 7-1 Lutes

COMING UP: Pacific Lutheran (10-8 overall, 8-4 NWC) returns to action on Wednesday, March 26, playing the first two games of a six-game spring break trip to California. The Lutes face Cal Lutheran in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. that day. The rest of the trip has PLU playing a doubleheader against La Verne on March 28 and another twinbill against Redlands on March 29.

PLU SPLITS WITH LINFIELD: Unranked Pacific Lutheran surprised No. 1-ranked Linfield, pulling out a 2-1 victory in the second game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader last Saturday at the Linfield diamond. The defending conference and national champion Wildcats twice had to battle back in the opener to win that contest, 5-4. PLU collected 10 hits in the game, including three by Walling and two more by Wheeler-Hoyt. Stephanie Mullen hit a solo home run, her first, to bring the Lutes within a run in the top of the sixth inning. Losing pitcher Hadley Schmitt struck out four and walked one while giving up nine hits and four earned runs. In the second game, Schmitt and Wheeler-Hoyt combined to hold the Wildcats to three hits, helping PLU snap a six-game series losing skid. Taking advantage of a hit batter and a passed ball, the Lutes broke a scoreless deadlock in the fifth inning. Vanessa Bryant singled to left field and moved over after Wildcats pitcher Brittany Miller hit Mullen with a pitch. A single by Brown pushed Bryant to third, where she scored on an errant pitch. In the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats put a runner in scoring position with two outs, but a long fly ball sent to right field was snagged by Missy Waldron. Wheeler-Hoyt, who improved her record to 5-2, was sharp in her four innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out one. Schmitt pitched the final three innings and picked up her third save of the season.

BEARCATS TAKE TWO: Willamette pitcher and designated player Nikki Franchi recorded a win and a save while going 5-for-6 at the plate, leading the Bearcats to a softball doubleheader sweep of Pacific Lutheran, 5-1 and 5-4, on Sunday at the WU Softball Field. In the opener, Franchi threw a complete-game five-hitter with six strikeouts and two walks. PLU's only run during the game was unearned. Sheila Reiten led the Lutes with two hits and was the only player with more than one hit for PLU. In the nightcap, Caitlin Brown had a pair of hits to lead the PLU’s seven-hit offense. Both teams recorded seven hits in the nightcap. Willamette outhit the Lutes, 15-12, during the doubleheader.

ABOUT THE COACH: Rick Noren, in his 14th year as head coach of the Pacific Lutheran softball team, needs seven more wins to reach 400 as the Lutes’ mentor. He has compiled a 393-134-1 record to this point. The Lutes have captured eight Northwest Conference titles under Noren, the last coming in 2003.

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