Softball: George Fox 6-1, Dallas 4-19

Bruins End Hollen’s 1st Season by Splitting with Crusaders.

Salem-News.com Sports

NEWBERG, Ore. - Ending their first season under new coach Jessica Hollen on a more upbeat note than most of the rest of the season, the George Fox University Bruins split a non-conference softball doubleheader with the University of Dallas Lady Crusaders.

Saturday afternoon's game was played at Morse Field, winning the opener 6-4 before dropping the nightcap 19-1 in five innings.

The Bruins used a four-run 1st inning to take control of the first game and end a 19-game losing streak. After the Crusaders had scored in the top of the inning on a single by Jessica Mollner, a steal, and two wild pitches, the Bruins got going with singles by Kerstyn Tsuruda, Chelsea Bradely, and Shelby Briske to load the bases. Erin Lee singled down the left field line to drive in two, and when the ball got away from the left fielder, Briske also scored. Lee later scored an unearned run on Missi Bourgo’s single.

The Bruins added single runs in the 3rd and 5th innings to build up a 6-1 lead. Audrey Dove hit the scoreboard in left for her first home run of the season in the 3rd, and Bradely walked, moved up on a ground out, and scored on Lee’s single to right in the 5th.

Jessica Swaja hit a solo home run in the 6th and the Crusaders scored twice more in the 7th on an RBI double by Amber Adams and a run-scoring single by Lizzie Griffin, but Bruin southpaw Bradely got the final out on a grounder to short with runners at the corners.

Bradely (5-24) went the distance, scattering nine hits while striking out a season-high 15 and walking none. Swaja (7-8) went all the way for Dallas, allowing nine hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.

Lee and Dove had two hits apiece for the Bruins. Mollner, Swaja, and Griffin each had two hits for the Crusaders.

In the second game, Swaja tripled in one run and scored on a single by Sammy Lawless in the top of the 1st, then the Crusaders exploded for 10 runs in the 2nd to put the game away. Michaela Coghlan hit a two-run homer to get the inning started, and before it was over, the visitors had pounded out eight hits while taking advantage of four George Fox errors to score nine unearned run. Lawless had a two-run double while Rebecca Burns and Adams had two-run singles during the rally.

The ‘Saders added two more in the 4th on a double by Adams and a sacrifice fly by Swaja, then collected five more in the 5th. Lawless homered to lead off the 5th, Burns and Adams had RBI singles around an RBI double by Mollner, and Swaja hit a sacrifice fly to close out the Dallas scoring.

George Fox got its only run in the 1st when Tsuruda singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice, and scored when the first baseman threw the ball away in an effort to catch Tsuruda, who was trying to advance an extra base to third.

Coghlan (7-6) got the win for Dallas with a route-going job, spacing six hits over five innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Lee (0-7) started and took the setback for the Bruins.

Tsuruda was the only Bruin with two hits. Mollner went 4-for-5 with three runs scored to pace the Crusaders, who had 17 hits in all. Adams and Lawless each had three hits and four RBIs, while Burns and Coghlan had two hits each, Burns scoring three times and knocking in three.

George Fox ends its season at 5-32, while Dallas concludes the season with a 19-16 mark.

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