MONMOUTH, Ore. – It was a fitting way to end a day in which the Western Oregon University softball team had rallied in both games to end up winning each game. Following a comeback 4-3 win in the first game against Northwest Nazarene, the Wolves won in exciting walk-off fashion in 11 innings in game two when Chandler Bishop hit a grand slam to give WOU the 13-9 win in the nightcap for the sweep Friday in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
“It was really nice, honestly my teammates did what they were suppose to do before me and coming up with two outs I just knew that I needed to get a base hit. Luckily the pitcher gave me a pitch that I wanted to swing at and good things happened,” Bishop said.
In the opener, WOU (7-7, 3-3 GNAC) tied the game in the second inning when Sydney Bowers launched a solo home run for the 1-1 tie after two.
Northwest Nazarene (17-5, 4-2 GNAC) picked up a run each in the fourth and fifth to take a 3-1 lead. The bats then broke out for the Wolves in the sixth.
Isabelle Lewis ignited the inning working a full-count walk. Bishop began her big day at the plate by following with a two-run homer to tie the game at three. The inning was far from over, with Allyson Drury following with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, Bailey Kahele singled to right to put runners at the corners. A pitching change followed and a wild pitch would bring in Drury with the go-ahead run at 4-3.
Erica Soliz remained in the circle for the seventh working around a single to preserve the 4-3 victory.
NNU held a 9-4 edge in hits with Lewis, Bishop, Bowers and Kahele all collecting hits for the Wolves. Soliz went all seven innings in the circle to grab the win (1-0) allowing the three earned runs and tallying four strikeouts.
Ivy Hommel, Brittany Genuardi and Abigail Gagnon all had two hits for the Nighthawks. In the circle, Sidney Booth started and ended up with the loss (7-2) going 5.1 innings and allowing four earned runs. Jackie Vargas went the final two-thirds of an inning to close out the sixth.
In the second game, it would feature just about everything. The Nighthawks moved out to a 1-0 lead in the second and then added three more in the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 6-0 lead.
The Wolves got right back in it in the home half of the fifth. With one out, Drury hit a solo home run. Following the second out of the frame, WOU put together a strong two out rally as Kahele singled. Logan Carlos walked and then Kirah McGlothan delivered a big three-run homer to trim the deficit to two at 6-4 after five.
NNU answered back with a run in the sixth before the Wolves would come all the way back to tie in the home half.
Kiley Lynn started the frame off with a bang when she connected for a solo homer. Lewis walked and Bishop singled through the left side to put runners at first and second. A fielder’s choice out marked the first out at third base, but the Wolves kept hitting. Bowers grounded out to move runners up to second and third. A walk to Kahele loaded the bases for Soliz who entered as a pinch-hitter and she singled through the left side to score a pair of runs to tie the game at seven.
The teams then entered extra innings. WOU nearly ended the game in the eighth with two on, but a groundout sent the game to the ninth. In the home half of the ninth, WOU had two runners on again, but a groundout ended the threat.
The game then moved to the 10th which meant the international tiebreaker would be used by placing a runner at second to start the inning. NNU tallied a run in the top of the 10th, which meant WOU had to get at least a run to extend the game.
Bishop laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Lewis to third. A groundout to third kept the runner at third, which meant it would take a two-out hit to keep the game going. Bowers would do just that when she singled on a 1-0 pitch to right to score Lewis to even the score at eight and move the game to the 11th.
The Nighthawks scored a run in the top of the inning and WOU answered back in grand fashion. Bella Valdes singled to open the frame moving Kahele to third. McGlothan doubled to right-center to score Kahele and advance Valdes to third. Hannah Stewart was walked on four pitches to load the bases. NNU was nearly able to work out of the jam getting a fly out to right and a strikeout before Bishop stepped in. With a 1-1 count, Bishop connected on a towering drive to left field that sailed over the fence for a walk-off grand slam and a 13-9 win for the Wolves.
It was a season-high in hits for the Wolves pounding out 14 to 12 for NNU. Bishop led the way with three hits, while Drury, Bowers, Valdes and McGlothan added two hits. McGlothan and Bishop each drove in four runs. In the circle, Reilly Tidwell started and went the first 2.1 innings allowing a run and posting four strikeouts. Maddie Mayer came on in relief and went the next 8.2 innings to get the win (1-3) allowing eight runs (six earned) and adding three strikeouts.
Emma Mulligan, Hommel, Maia McNicoll and Madison Felter led the Nighthawks with two hits. Booth drove in three runs. In the circle, Tori Hensley started and went 5.1 innings allowing six earned runs. She also re-entered in extra innings. Gina Skinner ended up with the loss (1-1) going 5.1 innings and giving up seven runs (five earned).
WOU and NNU will conclude their four-game GNAC series tomorrow (Saturday) with another doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
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