PORTLAND, Ore. - For the second straight day, the Puget Sound Logger softball team split a pair of games at the Northwest Cup, hosted by Concordia (Ore.) at Delta Park in Portland, Ore.  Concordia defeated the Loggers, 4-2, in the first game but Puget Sound responded with a 12-4 win over Northwest Christian in their second game.

In the first game, the Loggers and Cavaliers were scoreless through the first three innings.  In the top of the fourth, the Loggers led off the scoring as Stephanie Hatley (Keizer, Ore./McNary) scored on a passed ball and then freshman Aryn Grause (Corvallis, Ore./Crescent Valley) scored on a Concordia error that gave UPS a 2-0 lead. 

The Cavs answered back and more with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and then Concordia added an insurance run in the sixth to collect the 4-2 win.  Auriel Sperberg (Spanaway, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in five and two-thirds inning pitched.

In the second game, the Loggers broke the game open in the second inning, scoring nine runs on seven hits to put the game out of reach shortly after in it began.  Freshman Megan Janes (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) had three RBIs in the innings in two at-bats as the Beacons could stop the Logger offensive attack.  The Loggers added another run in the third inning when Grause singled to right center to score Hilary Rice (St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy).

The Beacons finally worked their way onto the scoreboard with four runs in the top of the fifth inning, three of those coming on a home run by Cotie Howard.  The Loggers ended the game in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Cassie Walny (University Place, Wash./Curtis) took advantage of a pinch-hitting opportunity to send the ball deep over the center field fence for a two-run game-ending home run that also scored senior Nikki LaFemina (Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin).

Sophomore Andi Doerflinger (Juneau, Alaska/Juneau-Douglas) collected the win, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings pitched.

The Loggers head back down to Oregon next weekend as they travel to Medford, Ore. to take part in the Southern Oregon Invitational.

Box Scores: Concordia/Northwest Christian