Setting the Scene: The Lutes return home and finish off the second part of the series against Willamette. PLU won the first two encounters in dramatic fashion back on March 11, receiving walk off home runs from Chaella Galapon and Sarah Potwin in 8-6 and 5-3 victories.
Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have met 136 times on the diamond since 1981 with Pacific Lutheran enjoying a 102-34 edge in the series. That includes winning five of the last six games in the series.
About the Lutes: It was mixed results for Pacific Lutheran (16-10, 8-6 NWC) last weekend in Portland against Lewis & Clark College. The Lutes earned 3-2 and 5-3 wins on Saturday before ending on the wrong side of 4-2 and 17-9 scorelines on Sunday to close the series.
On Saturday, Emma Ware was a star inside the circle, earning a win and a save. Ware tallied the decision in the opener, tossing five innings of scoreless relief before needing just two pitches in the nightcap to secure the final two outs to net the save.
Chaella Galapon powered the offense in game one of the series, blasting a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Game two saw Molly House go yard in the top of the first while a Galapon hit scored the go-ahead run in the fifth.
On Sunday, Casey Wright, Galapon, and Kennedy Kila all hit home runs but the Lutes came up short in both games. The Pios hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the eighth of game three in the series before netting another walkoff home run in the series finale for the 17-9 win.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (7-12, 5-9 NWC prior to California trip) returns to Tacoma after playing five games in California. That included a single game vs Occidental College and doubleheaders against the University of Redlands and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
Prior to the Cali trip, the Bearcats earned a series split with Pacific University. The visiting Boxers took the opener 12-6 before the Bearcats rebounded with a 12-7 win in game two. Willamette took the opening game on Sunday 6-1 before falling 13-4 in the finale.
Marykate DeLuca leads the Bearcats with a .429 batting average in the 11 games she's played, belting a team-high 11 RBIs. Mia Lund is hitting at a .309 clip with 10 RBIs.
Jordyn Johnson has logged the most time inside the circle with a 4.41 earned run average with a team-high 29 strikeouts.
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Next Home Game:
April 2: PLU hosts Linfield (DH) at 12 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu