TACOMA, Wash. – For the second day in a row, the University of Puget Sound softball team earned a doubleheader split. Pacific took the first game 8-7 despite a furious comeback attempt in the late innings for the Logger (2-9, 2-5 NWC). The late game was shortened because of darkness but the Loggers came away with a 2-1 victory.

Game 1 – L, 7-8

After a two and a half hour rain delay, the Loggers and Boxers (11-4, 7-4 NWC) finally took the field for a Northwest Conference doubleheader. The Boxers jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with two runs in the first, three more in the second and one more run in the third.

After scoring their first two runs in the first, the Boxers went to work in the third to build a big lead. They loaded the bases with one out when Becca Moen brought in a run with a ground ball. Chelsey Chamberlain doubled in the next at bat to plate two more runs and open a 5-0 lead. Jordan Mittelsdorff homered to center in the third for their sixth unanswered run.

The Loggers cut into the lead in the bottom of the third when Anthea Aasen drove in the Loggers first run and Aryn Grause scored on a wild pitch. The Boxers answered with two runs in the fourth on a RBI groundout from Chamberlain and an RBI-hit from Rylee Parke.

Jennifer Davis did not allow another run over the next two-plus innings as the Loggers bats came to life.

Carolyn Moore came through with a big RBI-double in the sixth to start the comeback. Chrissy Atterson added an RBI-single and Aasen plated Moore with another RBI-hit up the middle to close the gap to 8-5.

Joleen Monfiletto started the Loggers back up in the seventh with a leadoff homer to left field to narrow the deficit to 8-6. With two outs, the top of the Loggers lineup went to work again. Christina Demuelenaere singled and Moore doubled her in to bring the Loggers within one run. Aryn Grause then tapped an infield single to move Moore (they tying run to third base). However, Shannon Miller produced a game-ending ground out as the Boxers escaped with an 8-7 win.

Game 2 – W, 2-1 (5 inns.)

Auriel Sperberg was nearly unhittable in the circle as she tallied 10 strikeouts in a Loggers win. She tossed all five innings before darkness forced the game to end early.

Sperberg allowed just four hits and one run in her second victory in two days. The Boxers lone run came on a solo homer from Ashley Bilingsley.

The Loggers struck first in the nightcap with a run in the bottom of the first. Demuelenaere led off with a double and later came around to score on an error. Billingsley hit her homer in the top of the second to knot it up a 1-1.

In the third, Monfiletto cashed in Moore with the bases loaded on an RBI single that snuck up the middle and into center field.

Sperberg and miller battled over the next couple innings, but it was Sperberg who retired the last seven batters she faced in order to earn the victory.

The Loggers will host No. 1 Linfield in a doubleheader tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for noon.