MONMOUTH, Ore. – Backed by some timely hits and a pair of strong pitching performances, the Western Oregon University softball team began the 2022 season strong sweeping Bushnell by scores of 4-2 and 6-2 on Tuesday at the WOU Softball Field.
WOU (2-0) posted 16 hits on the day, eight in both games and both Natalie Willoughby and Maddie Doig posted four hits apiece. Willoughby had a big game tallying a pair of home runs along with eight RBI. Doig added a double. Logan Carlos posted two hits on the day. In the circle, Maddie Mayer started the first game and went six innings, allowing just one hit to get the win. She added five strikeouts. Nicki Derrick then came on in relief to record the save tossing a scoreless inning. Chelsea Smith then came on in relief in game two allowing no runs in three innings, along with five strikeouts to pick up the victory. Reilly Tidwell started the second game and went the first four innings, allowing two earned runs to get the no decision.
In the opener, neither team scored over the first two innings. In the third, the Wolves took the lead for good with three runs. Bella Valdes opened the frame reaching on an error and then stole second. Doig singled up the middle to move Valdes to third and on the throw, Doig moved to second. Following an out, Willoughby started her big day at the plate ripping a double to left-center to score both runs. After Carlos singled to put runners at the corners, Sophie Franklin capped the three-run inning with a single through the left side to score Willoughby for the 3-0 lead.
WOU plated another run in the fourth. Hannah Stewart opened the inning with a single and then stole second. Valdes walked and after two outs were recorded, Willoughby came through again with a single to right to score Valdes for the 4-0 lead.
Bushnell (0-2) fought back with a solo home run in the sixth and then added another run in the seventh. Derrick was then able to get a fielder's choice groundout to second to end the game with WOU taking the 4-2 victory.
WOU held an 8-4 advantage in hits and both teams committed two errors. Willoughby and Doig led the offense with two hits apiece and Willoughby drove in three runs. Mayer picked up the win going six innings and Derrick tallied the save working the seventh.
Mendez led Bushnell with two hits, including a home run. Silver started in the circle and went all six innings allowing the four runs, two earned.
In the second game, the Beacons were the ones to score first this time in the third inning. After Bushnell picked up a run in the third, they added another in the fourth to move out to a 2-0 lead. WOU got the offense going in the bottom of the fourth. With Doig on and two outs, Willoughby lifted a two-run homer to center to tie the game at two.
After no runs were scored in the fifth, the Wolves put the game out of reach in the sixth. With one out, Valdes reached on a bunt single and then moved to third on a single by Doig. After Doig stole second, Erica Soliz hit a single through the right side to score Valdes. Willoughby came up and delivered once again when she connected on a three-run homer to center to make it a 6-2 lead.
In the seventh, Smith worked around an error to keep Bushnell off the scoreboard and preserve the 6-2 win.
WOU held an 8-3 edge in hits and the Wolves committed the only error in game two. Six Wolves had a hit with Doig and Willoughby tallying two hits apiece. Willoughby drove in five runs. In the circle, Tidwell pitched the first four innings, before Smith picked up the win going the final three innings and allowed just a walk.
Akagi, Mendez and Kuykendall all tallied hits for Bushnell. Kelly started in the circle and went the first 5.1 innings to take the loss after allowing six earned runs. Hilton pitched the final two-thirds of the sixth.
Following the two wins over Bushnell, WOU will now travel to California this weekend to play five games in the Concordia Irvine Tournament starting on Friday at 11 a.m. against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
