PORTLAND | Two extremely competitive games this afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium provided the Warner Pacific University Softball team (3-19, 2-12) with the motivation they needed to force a conference doubleheader split with Northwest University (8-18, 5-9), as the Knights narrowly dropped game one to the Eagles 2-4, before completing the come-from-behind victory in game two, 8-4.
 
Game 1
 
After surrendering 31 runs last Saturday to the Carroll College Saints on the road, Knights' Heads Coach Alex Flores was looking to put some much needed emphasis on the defensive/pitching aspects of the contests this weekend for Warner Pacific, and found just that in sophomore starting pitcher Abby Carlson.
 
Warner Pacific jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a passed ball situation from Northwest's catcher, allowing senior third baseman Payton Hergert to score from third base, unearned.
 
However, the Eagles quickly answered in the top of the second inning with an unearned run of their own, as an error allowed Eagles' left fielder Madisyn Leffle to reach base, scoring the runner from third with two outs.
 
The two starting pitchers dueled it out for the next four innings, each of them allowing just one additional run apiece, leading to a 2-2 tie entering the seventh and final inning of regulation. Carlson (2-9) allowed a run in the top of the fourth on a single to centerfield from Leffle, while Eagles' starting pitcher Bella King (5-8) was knocked around for a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single from Knights' centerfielder Paityn Willoughby.
 
The Eagles finally broke through in the top of the seventh inning, as a leadoff single from King, followed by another single and back-to-back sacrifices scored her to break the tie. Eagles' centerfielder Jordan Dippel added an insurance run right after by scoring Leffle, but the single run would turn out to be all they needed in the end, as the Knights went out swinging in order to finish the game 4-2 in favor of Northwest.
 
Carlson walked away with the loss, but pitched extremely well throughout the adversity in her 13 appearance of the season, as she allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on 10 hits and three walks, while striking out a season-high five Eagles' batters in a complete game effort.
 
Hergert returned home to do exactly what she does at Erv Lind Stadium, absolutely smash the ball, as she went 3-for-4 and scored a run, before continuing the same excellence in game two. Knights' shortstop Carrigan Foster collected two hits in three at-bats as well for Warner Pacific.
 
King picked up her fifth win of the season by allowing two runs in 7.0 innings pitched on seven hits, striking out four batters and only walking one. Only the fifth inning run went against her ERA, which now sits at 4.50 for the year.
 
Leffle earned a 2-for-4 effort at the plate in game one, swinging for two RBIs and crossing the plate on one occasion herself to score a run. Right fielder Emily Barry snagged two hits and a walk in four at-bats, while stealing two bases along the way.

Game 2
 
The Eagles immediately soared out to a 3-0 lead over the Knights in game two, all thanks to a pair of first inning doubles from Barry and shortstop Alyssa Maldonado that plated three runs against Carlson's ERA.
 
Little to the delight of the Northwest fans that had congregated near the first base dugout, Warner Pacific's Hergert and junior right fielder Emma Foster witnessed the two doubles by the Eagles and decided to take the offense to the next level. In the bottom of the first inning, already trailing by three runs, Hergert cut the lead to a single score on a two-run bomb over the left field fence, and E. Foster followed her lead two batters later by placing a second home run over Leffle's head, which landed roughly a foot or two away from Hergert's home run ball. E. Foster's dinger put the Knights ahead 4-3, and WPU never looked back.
 
Hergert added another RBI to her tally in the bottom of the second inning, as she scored senior second baseman Alexis Morrow on a double to right centerfield. The double was Hergert's fifth hit of the day, and she didn't show signs of slowing down.
 
Northwest earned a run back in the top of the fourth inning, as Leffle collected her third RBI of the afternoon to score right fielder Ashley Carter from second base with two outs in the frame.
 
Not wanting to see another one-run contest come down to the wire on their home field, the Knights tagged the Eagles for three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, ending the scoring for the afternoon, and thus sealing their 8-4 victory.
 
Carlson (3-9) continued to pitch well for Warner Pacific in her second complete game effort of the day, allowing four runs on 10 hits, striking out three and walking a pair of Northwest hitters.
 
Hergert matched her game one performance with another 3-for-4 showing at the plate, this time producing three RBIs and scoring a run along the way. E. Foster's first-inning homer would be her only hit of game two, which plated two runs to officially take the last lead change needed against Northwest.
 
Northwest starting pitcher Sydney Maurer (3-5) was lit up for four runs off four hits in the first inning, recording just a single out before the quick hook from Eagles' Head Coach Pam Fink following E. Foster's home run. Relief pitcher Becca Rennick came in for Maurer to work 5.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing four more runs on eight hits, and struck out four WPU batters along the way.
 
Eagles' Leffle got on base twice more for Northwest via hits, and stole a season-high three bases when given the opportunities. Carter batted a perfect 3-for-3 at the bottom of the lineup in game two, scoring a run after a two out double to put her at second base.
 
The Knights and Eagles are back in action tomorrow morning for games three and four of their four-game series, with first pitch slated for 11am PDT. Game two of the Saturday doubleheader will begin promptly at 1pm PDT, and will be the non-conference matchup between these two teams.