Kate Santos, the single-season home run record holder for CU, hit her first roundtripper of the season against Willamette on Saturday.
CLACKAMAS, Ore.—Down by a run heading into the bottom of the sixth, Concordia hit two home runs to score eight runs in the inning en route to a 9-4 win against Willamette during the second day of the Northwest Cup held at Hood View Park on Saturday.
With the aid of a throwing error in the first at bat, Willamette (0-1) opened its season with a pair of runs in the first inning. With two runners on, Erin Norris provided the damaging blast with a two-run double to left center, scoring Ashley Pender and Heather Winslow.
Stymied by Willamette starter Victoria Bradshaw, the Cavs were held to a single hit through four innings and were scoreless until the fifth inning as
Meghan Luebbert (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.) scored on a throwing error after reaching via a bunt single.
With a 1-2-3 performance from inside the circle by CU starter
Danielle Orvella (Seattle, Wash./Kentridge H.S.) in the top of the sixth, the Cavalier offense woke up in the home half of the frame, sending 13 batters to the plate to stake a 9-2 lead.
With no outs and the bases loaded,
Rielly Byrd (Puyallup, Wash./Franklin Pierce H.S.) kicked off the assault with a sacrifice fly to right. Now with two runners on, Luebbert smashed her first career collegiate home run to provide the Cavs with a5-2 lead.
Two batters later, with
Katie Aden (Tigard, Ore./Tigard H.S.) on first on a drawn walk,
Kate Santos (Gladstone, Ore./Gladstone H.S.) belted her first homer of the season to push the advantage to 7-2. The Cavs scored two more runs with an RBI single by
Mariah Jimenez (Camas, Wash./Camas H.S.) and ab RBI double by
Taylor Bussey (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie H.S.).
In the seventh inning, Willamette scored its final runs with a two-run home run by Norris, giving the junior four RBI in the game.
Allowing eight hits in a complete game performance, Orvella earned her first win of the season.
Bradshaw went 4.1 innings for Willamette and allowed just one run on two hits. Reliever Hayley Glantz took the loss for Willamette as she allowed eight runs on nine hits.
Concordia's second game of the day, a scheduled matchup against Pacific Lutheran, was cancelled as strong winds were added to an already steady downpour at the complex. The contest has been moved to a 3 p.m. tilt on Sunday, giving the Cavaliers a triple header on the final day of action at the Northwest Cup.