SALEM, Ore. – As it had in Saturday's two losses, giving up a big inning cost Whitworth University a game in the opener of Sunday's Northwest Conference softball doubleheader at Willamette University. But the Pirates prevented a big inning in the series finale and came away with a win. The Bearcats (27-7 overall, 17-5 NWC) won the opener 14-4 in five innings, but the visiting Pirates (14-19, 11-10) took the nightcap 10-6.

Willamette 14, Whitworth 4 (5 innings) - Box Score

Cey went 5 of 7 at the plate on Saturday

Trailing 5-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Whitworth rallied to within 5-4. But the Bearcats scored nine runs in the bottom of the inning to win the game on the NCAA eight-run rule.

Willamette score three runs in the first, another in the second and one more in the third against Whitworth starting pitcher Jessie LaPlante (7-12). But LaPlante held the Bearcats scoreless in the fourth, allowing Whitworth to rally.

Lacey Parry singled home a pair of runs to pull the Pirates within 5-2. Later in the inning Morgan Thomsen doubled home two more runs to get the Bucs within a single run.

In the bottom of the fifth, a pair of errors led to four quick unearned runs. After a single brought home another run, Caitlin Waugh hit a grand slam to end the game in favor of the Bearcats.

Halley Cey had two of the Pirates' five hits. LaPlante allowed 11 runs (five earned) on 13 hits in 4.2 innings. Kelsey Ayers pitched to the final three batters.

Whitworth 10, Willamette 6 - Box Score

Mangis earned her fifth pitching win of the year

Whitworth built a large early lead, then held on by preventing a big rally by Willamette.

Jessica Mangis (5-4) went the distance for the Pirates in the circle, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits. She struck out three and didn't walk a batter.

After each team scratched out a run in the first inning, Whitworth scored three in the second, including a sacrifice fly by Cey and an RBI single by Parry.

Leading 4-2 heading to the top of the fifth, the Pirates broke through for five runs. Caty Lieseke doubled home the first run and Carrie Gibson singled home the second. Cey tripled home two more and Parry's double drove home the final RBI.

Parry singled home an insurance run in the top of the seventh that gave the Pirates a 10-3 lead. Willamette rallied in the bottom of the seventh, but Mangis prevented the rally from becoming the kind of big inning that killed Whitworth in the first three games of the series.

Whitworth will conclude its season with a four game series at Pacific University next weekend.