After falling short during opening weekend, the Loggers were looking to hit a high note in their games against Lewis and Clark and Pacific Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24, respectively.
Although the Puget Sound softball team had an offensive burst during the second game of the doubleheader against Lewis and Clark, the Loggers fell 13-1 and 17-9 to the Pioneers.
The Pios (7-3, 2-0 NWC), as the Pioneers are affectionately known, took advantage of five Logger errors during the first game, thus scoring seven unearned runs.
The Loggers (0-6, 0-2 NWC) were able to get on the board first in the top of the first inning. Freshman Lisa Colombo (Los Gatos, Calif.) began the game with a double which was followed up by a triple from junior Chelsea Lindroth (Everett, Wash.) to cash in the run.
The Pioneers responded in the bottom of the first with four runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Pioneer Caitlin McCormick. They took a 6-1 lead in the second, scoring two more runs.
In the fourth, the Loggers committed three errors and the Pios took the advantage with seven runs and five hits, shortening the game to a Pioneer victory.
In the second game of the night, the Loggers brought their all. However, it was not enough to subdue the Pioneers into defeat. The Loggers were able to hit at least one run in every inning, but the Pios responded with multiple scores.
A home run from senior Brianna Huber (Chico, Calif.) earned the Loggers an easy 3-0 lead in the top of first. After the Pios responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half, a homerun from Lindroth and a double steal from senior Tahni Arndt gave the Loggers a 6-2 lead.
However, the bottom of second changed everything. The Pioneers pounded out six hits to score eight runs.
In the third, sophomore Marissa Jeffers (Issaquah, Wash.) was able to rack in two more runs to cut the deficit to 10-8, but the Pioneers hung up five more runs in the third and two more in the fourth, ending the game with a 17-9 win for the Pioneers.
The Loggers fared no better when the traveled to Forest Grove to take on Pacific. In the first game of the doubleheader, Pacific started off strong, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first inning to give the team a lead that they would not relinquish.
The Loggers managed only two hits the rest of the way. Though the Loggers were able to get runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, they could do no damage and ultimately Pacific took the first game 8-0.
The second game of the doubleheader followed an eerily similar script. The Loggers committed five errors in the game overall, including two in the first inning to allow Pacific to jump out to an early 3-0 lead.
Once again, the Loggers were able to muster only two hits, both singles by Huber and freshman Lisa Colombo (Los Gatos, Calif.). It was not enough, and the Loggers fell 8-0 to Pacific for the second time that day. The losses dropped Puget Sound to 0-4 in the NWC and 0-8 in overall play.
The Loggers’ trip through Oregon will continue on Saturday, March 2, as the team attempts to right the ship against George Fox in another doubleheader.
