10,Forest Grove, Ore. | It had been approximately 10,220 days since somebody wearing a Knight uniform has swung a bat in a counting game. On Saturday, that streak was broken as Warner Pacific kicked off the Softball season against NCAA Division III Pacific University. In an abnormal February Portland day with intermittent showers between bouts of sun, the voices in Knight dugout rang through the metal bleachers at Shermin-Larkins Stadium.
 
Getting the first game jitters out of the way, the Knights quickly started the game three-and-out, followed by a Boxer stolen base and three ground outs to close out the first inning.
 
Enter Devinne Amesquita, the first batter in the second inning. The Junior out of West Linn stepped up to the plate, gets one practice swing out of the way and waits for the wind up. Liking what she sees, Amesquita swings and makes contact with the ball, sending it flying through the air far past the 215-foot mark right down the middle. In her first at bat and first pitch wearing the White and Columbia Blue, Devinne sends a bomb, making it a 1-0 in the second inning.
 
Following the Amesquita homer, the Knights remained in the lead for the next 2.5 innings before the Boxers get on the board late in the fourth. At the top of the sixth, Emma Foster singled to right center field and McKenzie Pierce reached on fielder's choice. Stepping up to bat with two outs and one on base is catcher Katie Gleasman. Gleasman, with a 2-2 count, sends one flying down mid-left field bringing in McKenzie Pierce. The Knights now lead 3-1.
 
The Boxers became aggressive in the sixth inning; with two on base and following a strike out, they steal home, it's now 3-2 Knights heading into the seventh.
 
Junior Grace Utto-Galarneau, after getting on base and being advanced, is directed by Coach Nathan Ohta to steal third base. In her efforts, due to a catchers error, the Junior from Lacey, Washington plows throw the catcher to reach home plate. Heading into the final half-inning, the Knights are up 4-2 and end up going to win the first game in over 20 years, 4-2.
 
The nightcap, however, took a different turn. The Knights defense just couldn't come up with a stop as the Boxers went on to score seven runs in the first inning, five of them earned. Pacific went on to score one more run in the fourth inning, giving the Knights one last chance before the mercy rule (eight runs after five innings). With one bad inning working against them and much unlike the first of the double-header, the Knights were unsuccessful in making contact on the ball and after five innings, the Boxers had claimed revenge in an 8-0 game.

Warner Pacific will play another double-header on Sunday back in Portland against yet another NCAA Division III squad, the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark College. The first pitch is scheduled for 11am at Huston Sports Complex.