Boxers Sweep Bearcats in Northwest Conference Doubleheader to End Season

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Pacific University excelled on offense against Willamette University on Saturday, April 15, as the Boxers swept a doubleheader from the Bearcats, 12-5 and 14-6, at the WU Softball Field.

It was the last doubleheader of the season for both teams. Pacific advanced its record to 11-27 overall, 9-19 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette finished at 14-20, including 12-16 in the NWC.

Steffany Dunn (Sr., RF, Colfax, CA/Colfax HS) of Willamette hit two home runs in the second game, giving her a team-high seven homers for the season. Mallory Asaro (Sr., SS, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) blasted a home run in the first game. It was Asaro's fifth homer this spring.

Prior to the game Willemette honored its six seniors:  Asaro, Dunn, Makayla Hari (Sr., P, Salem, OR/Blanchet Catholic HS), Alexia Pratt (Sr., CF, Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS), Alex Shields (Sr., C, Lake Forest, CA/El Toro HS) and Jade Smith (Sr., P, Chico, CA/Chico HS).

Boxers Score Five Run in First Inning of First Game

Pacific jumped out to a big lead in the opener with five runs in the first inning. Katelyn Macaitis-Smith brought in the first run with an RBI single. Morgan Bookout drove in the next three runs by blasting a homer to center field with with one out and Macaitis-Smith and Haley Kodama on base. A double by Amanda Machado and a single by Cindy Chan created the fifth run.

Willamette cut the margin to 5-1 in the bottom of the second with Asaro's home run over the center field fence.

The Boxers pulled away with six runs on six hits in the third stanza. All six hits were singles, including RBI base hits by Machado, Chan, Keri Togami, Kiara McGinnis.

WU battled the run-rule in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored four runs to pull within 11-5. Vanessa Almaraz (Fr., OF, Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley HS) drove in one run with a single through the right side. Darian Gibson (So., OF, Newport Beach, CA/Calvary HS) added an RBI single up the middle. Asaro completed the four-run outburst with a two-RBI single that also went up the middle.

Pacific closed out the scoring when Kadoma hit an RBI triple in the seventh inning.

Kaitlyn Donaca of Pacific was 4 for 5 during the game with two runs scored. Bookout went 2 of 3 with her homer, two runs and three RBIs. Also with two hits for Pacific were Macaitis-Smith, Machado and Chan. For Willamette, Asaro was 2 for 4 with a homer, one run and three RBIs. Gibson went 2 of 4 with one run and one RBI.

WU Leads Early, but Pacific Rallies for Win in Second Game

The Bearcats took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the second game, but Pacific outscored Willamette 14-4 the rest of the way. Madi Hedlund led the Boxers by going 4 for 4 at the plate with a homer, two runs and five RBIs. Bookout went 4 of 5 with three runs and an RBI, while Trisha Snydar scored a game-high three runs.

Dunn was 2 of 2 with two runs, two homers and four RBIs for Willamette. Gibson finished the game 3 of 4 with a run scored.

Hari singled for WU with one out in the second inning. Olivia Scott (Fr., C, San Francisco, CA/Lowell HS) ran for Hari and stole second base. Dunn batted next and smacked a two-run homer to left center.

Willamette maintained the 2-0 advantage through the third inning, but Pacific claimed a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth. The Bearcats tied the game at 3-3 in their next at bat. Jocelyn Glasgo (Fr., P/OF, Rochester, WA/Tumwater HS) walked, and then Payton Reynolds (Fr., UT, Reno, NV/Reno HS) and Dunn were hit by pitches to load the bases. Glasgo was thrown out on a fielder's choice, but Reynolds scored on an illegal pitch.

The Boxers surge into the lead by scoring five runs in the fifth stanza for an 8-3 advantage. Pacific added three runs in the sixth inning -- two on a homer by Hedlund -- to increased its lead to eight runs. Dunn responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to 11-5.