SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth College completed a 4-0 weekend against visiting Willamette University by sweeping a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Marks Field by scores of 9-7 and 9-4. By raising their winning streak to 16 in a row, the 8th-ranked Pirates improved to 29-3 overall and remain unbeaten in NWC play (24-0). The Bearcats fell to 17-16, 11-13.

Lindsay Davis, the only senior on the Whitworth team, went 4 for 7 with five runs batted in. Nikki Franchi was 5 for 8 on the day to lead Willamette.

Davis hit the game-winning home run

Game 1: Whitworth 9, Willamette 7 - Box score
The Bearcats pounded out 17 hits, their second highest single game total of the season, against Pirate ace Jessie LaPlante, but it was not enough to get the win in the first game.

Whitworth scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for a win in a contest that saw four lead changes. The final three runs of the inning came on a game-winning home run by Davis, her fifth of the season.

Davis drove in the first run of the game in the first inning with an RBI single that scored Halley Cey. The Pirates made it 2-0 in the third when Heather Case doubled home Davis.

But in the fourth inning the Bearcats got their bats going against LaPlante. With two outs Caitlin Waugh singled home Franchi, then Cirbi Anthony's single through the middle brought home two more runs for a 3-2 Willamette lead.

LaPlante helped herself out in the bottom of the fourth by crushing a three run home run to center field, her third of the season and second in as many days. But Willamette got one back in the fifth on Molly Barnes' sacrifice fly to pull within 5-4.

The Bearcats scored three more times in the top of the sixth to get the lead back at 7-5. With the bases loaded Debra Bohren dribbled a ball just in front of the plate that was unplayable, scoring a run. Elizabeth Gilgan followed with a two-run single to put Willamette in front.

Whitworth's winning rally began when Sara Rylaarsdam led off the sixth with a solo home run to center field, her second of the season. After two walks and a pitching change, Davis drove her home run deep to left for the winning runs.

The Bearcats did not go quietly in the seventh, however. After two were out, three straight singles loaded the bases. But LaPlante got Bohren to ground to second to end the game.

LaPlante (17-0) allowed a season high seven earned runs on 17 hits. She struck out six without a walk. Three different Willamette pitchers faced the Pirates and all three gave up three runs. Casey Clark (3-2) was credited with the loss after she allowed three of the four runs in the sixth.

Anderson was 3 for 3 with a home run

Game 2: Whitworth 9, Willamette 4 - Box score
Whitworth completed the series sweep by scoring eight runs in the second inning for an early, insurmountable lead.

The Pirates scored their eight runs on eight hits, sending 12 batters to the plate. Case had a two-run single in the inning and Morgan Thomsen followed with a two-run double later in the frame.

Willamette got two back in the top of the third on RBI singles by Franchi and Geneva Hale. They added one more in the fifth on Franchi's RBI double to pull within 8-3.

Rachel Anderson, who went 3 for 3 in the game, hit her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Pirates.

Gilgan scored on a wild pitch for Willamette's final run in the top of the seventh inning.

Jennifer Eckhoff (5-1) went the distance for Whitworth, allowing four earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Once again, the Bearcats used three pitchers in the game and the loss was credited to Franchi (9-7), who allowed most of the runs in the second inning.

Records Fall: With five games left in the regular season, Whitworth has already broken or tied several key team records this season. Most importantly, the Pirates have tied the school record for number of wins in a season with 29 (they were 29-8 in 2004). The Bucs extended their school records for winning streak and NWC wins to 16 and 24, respectively. Whitworth has also set single season team records for home runs (33, old record was 24 in 2006), runs scored (221, 192 in 2006), runs batted in (198, 176 in 2006), hits (292, 287 in 2006) and doubles (71, 58 in 2006).

Up Next: The Pirates will host NAIA-member Simon Fraser University on Friday in a non-league contest at 1:30 pm. As of April 18, the Clan were 11-0 and ranked 3rd in the most recent NAIA poll.

Then the showdown weekend follows against 3rd-ranked Linfield. The three-time defending conference champions entered this weekend only one game behind Whitworth in the NWC standings. The Wildcats edged the Pirates by one game in last season's NWC race after the two teams split a four game series in the final weekend of the regular season at Linfield.

Willamette will return home to host Pacific in a four game series next weekend.