PORTLAND, Ore. - Amber Fowler drove in eight runs on the day to lead visiting Whitworth to a sweep of a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader at Lewis & Clark on Saturday afternoon. The 9th-ranked Pirates won the opener 11-8 and took the second game 12-0 in five innings.

Fowler finished the day 4 for 6 at the plate as Whitworth improved to 23-3 overall and 18-0 in the NWC. L&C fell to 4-26, 2-18. The Pirates have won ten games in a row.

Fowler went 4 for 6 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs

Game 1: Whitworth 11, Lewis & Clark 8 - Box score
Whitworth opened an 11-1 lead in the fourth inning before Lewis & Clark rallied with seven runs against Pirate reserves to close the gap late in the contest.

Jessie LaPlante pitched a complete game, improving to 13-0 this season. She allowed eight runs (six earned) on six hits with 11 strike outs and four walks. LaPlante also helped her own cause with a three-run home run in Whitworth's six-run fourth inning rally. It was her first home run of the season.

Fowler drove in two runs with an RBI single and LaPlante followed with an RBIU hit in the third inning, giving Whitworth a 5-1 lead. The Pirates made it 11-1 after the top of the fourth by scoring six more times. The big blow was LaPlante's three run shot.

The Pioneers scored two in the fourth to pull within 11-3, then five more in the fifth to get within 11-8. The runs also prevented the game from ending on the 8-run mercy rule. However, L&C did not threaten in the sixth or seventh innings as LaPlante retired the side 1-2-3 both times.

Case improved to 7-2 with a two-hitter

Game 2: Whitworth 12, Lewis & Clark 0 (5 inn.) - Box score
Whitworth did not let the Pioneers back in the game this time, building a big lead and never letting go.

Fowler homered twice in the game, a two-run shot in the second inning and a grand slam in the seven-run third inning. They were her third and fourth home runs of the season, respectively. Sarah Froman added a three run homer, her second of the season, in the fourth inning for the 12-0 lead.

Lacey Kerr had a two-run single in Whitworth's big third inning and Lindsay Davis scored the innings first run and then drove home the final run with an RBI hit as the Pirates sent 10 batters to the plate.

Davis and Fowler both went 3 for 3 in the game.

Heather Case pitched a two-hit shutout to improve to 7-2 this season. She struck out one and didn't walk a batter.

Up Next: The Pirates, who remain a half game ahead of 3rd-ranked Linfield (26-4, 17-1) in the NWC standings, will complete the four game series at L&C with another doubleheader on Sunday (Noon first pitch). The current ten game winning streak is the second longest of the season. Whitworth opened the schedule 12-0.