FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 21st, 2026
Salem, Ore.| The Warner Pacific Softball team hit the road once again and faced off against Willamette University in a non-conference double-header and went on to win the first game and lose the second by final scores of 14-10 and 11-8.
Game One
Warner Pacific struck first in the opening inning on an RBI single, but the game turned in the second when the Knights exploded for nine runs. With multiple hits and errors from Willamette and a home run to end the ending. Warner Pacific added another run in the third to build a 12–0 lead before Willamette began chipping away. The Bearcats scored three in the third and added a solo homer in the fourth, before mounting a six-run fifth inning to close within three.
Brylee-Rose Demello's second home run of the day in the sixth provided an important insurance run that helped secure the win for the Knights.
Offensively, Warner Pacific produced up and down order led by
Brylee-Rose Demello who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs in a standout performance.
Madelyn Lahey added three hits and two RBIs while
Noe Barawis,
Ryleah Torres, and
Kili Makanani each recorded multi-hit games to keep the offense rolling. In the circle, Makanani earned the win despite having to fight out of the middle innings allowing 10 runs over 4.1 innings.
Kaylee Pokorny closed the door with a strong relief outing, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to seal the victory after Willamette's late surge.
Game Two
Warner Pacific scored first in the second inning, taking advantage of an error before a bases-clearing triple to make it 4–0. The Knights added another run in the third to build a five-run lead but Willamette answered immediately with a six-run third inning. Warner Pacific briefly regained control in the fourth with a three-run homer to push the lead to 8–6 but the Bearcats responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the sixth to complete the comeback.
Offensively, Warner Pacific was led by
Mailli Bode, who went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, while
Ryleah Torres added a key three-run homer and reached base twice.
Kili Makanani chipped in two hits as the Knights produced timely offense early but were held scoreless over the final three innings. In the circle,
Alex Brooks started and allowed six runs in 2.2 innings during Willamette's big third inning.
Macey Tovar took the loss after surrendering two runs in relief, while
Kaylee Pokorny finished the game with three innings of work and three runs allowed. Despite a solid offensive game the Knights couldn't hold back Willamette in their late comeback bid.
Next Up
With the Knights first win in the books, Warner Pacific will now hunt to continue that success, and they get a chance tomorrow as they take on the University of Puget Sound in a double header. It will be played at Milwaukee high school at 12pm and 2pm.
