SAN DIEGO, Calif. – After a rough start, Whitworth University challenged highly-ranked Point Loma Nazarene hard, but ultimately the visiting Pirates were swept in a non-conference softball doubleheader 9-1 and 2-1 on Thursday afternoon at Sunset Cliffs Park. Whitworth finished its spring break trip to California with a 2-6 record.

Game 1 (6 innings) - Box Score

Whitworth fell behind the Sea Lions (25-5, ranked #2 in NAIA) 6-0 after two innings of the opener. But Kelsey Ayers came on to pitch solidly in relief, shutting out PLNU over the next four innings. After Whitworth scored its lone run of the game in the top of the sixth, the Sea Lions finally broke through against Ayers with three runs in the bottom of the inning to force the end of the game on the eight-run rule.

Rachel Anderson scored Whitworth's run after Halley Cey's double moved Anderson to third base. Anderson scored on a throwing error by the PLNU catcher. Anderson and Cey had Whitworth's only hits in the game.

Only five of the nine runs scored against Whitworth pitchers were earned as the Pirates committed five errors.

Game 2 - Box Score

Whitworth jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Lacey Parry tripled and then scored on a grounder to second base by Josie Ball.

Meanwhile Pirate pitcher Jessica Mangis battled throughout the game, keeping the Sea Lions scoreless and stranding five PLNU runners through six innings. But the Sea Lions finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits to win the game.

Whitworth left the bases loaded in the top of the third, the team's best chance to add to its lead at the time.

Parry finished with two hits in the game for the Bucs (8-16).

It was the third time on the trip to California that the Pirates lost the game during the opponent's final at-bat.

Whitworth will return to Northwest Conference play on April 5-6 when the Bucs host University of Puget Sound in a four game series at Diana Marks Field.