Game 1: Whitworth 3, Puget Sound 2 (Complete box and play by play)
Game 2: Whitworth 3, Puget Sound 0 (Complete box and play by play)

Case went 3 for 5 with a double and home run

SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth completed its first ever Northwest Conference softball series sweep of Puget Sound on Sunday afternoon by scores of 3-2 and 3-0, moving the Pirates into sole possession of first place in the NWC. It is the first time in the history of the program that Whitworth has ever held first place.

Heather Case went 3 for 5 to lead the Pirates at the plate, while Jo Sonnett and Jennifer Eckhoff each pitched complete games to lead Whitworth to the wins. The Pirates won their eighth straight and improved to 18-8 overall and 13-4 in the NWC. UPS fell to 16-10 and 6-8. Whitworth leads two-time defending champion Linfield (19-6, 12-4) by one game and perennial power Pacific Lutheran (17-9, 10-4) by two games.

Whitworth jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first game and had to withstand a seventh-inning rally by the Loggers. Sarah Froman drove home Case in the first inning with a sacrifice fly. In the third Case hit a two-run home run, her second of the season.

UPS rallied for two in the seventh. Victoria Raeburn led off with her second home run of the season. Jessica Roberts doubled and was singled home by Valarie Barone before there was an out. But Sonnett settled down to strike out three of the next four batters to end the game.

Prior to the seventh Sonnett had allowed only one single by UPS. She allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in the complete game. She struck out 11 batters and improved to 13-4 this season. Meanwhile Roberts was a hard luck losing pitcher for the second straight outing, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. Roberts (3-2) struck out three Pirates.

Jennifer Eckhoff scattered five hits in her complete game shutout in the night cap. She walked two and struck out two, but benefited from two double plays behind her and an attempted steal home by UPS that ended an inning with the runner getting thrown out.

Whitworth scored two in the fourth. With Sarah Froman on second base, Sonnett and Sarah Rylaarsdam hit back to back doubles. Then in the fifth, back to back doubles by Case and Lindsay Davis brought in the third run.

UPS has two runners on base in the seventh, but Eckhoff managed to get Gene Duven to ground out and end the game. Eckhoff improved to 5-3. Adriane Herlache (6-5) started and allowed two runs in 3.2 innings to suffer the loss for the Loggers. Raeburn pitched 2.1 innings of relief, allowing one run.

Whitworth will host Lewis & Clark next Friday and Saturday in the final home series of the season. Puget Sound returns home to host Pacific on Friday and Willamette on Saturday in a pair of NWC doubleheaders.