LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A pair of close games ended in a doubleheader split when the University of Puget Sound softball team visited Occidental on Thursday. The Loggers (4-13) snuck away with a 6-4 win in a nine-inning first game, but the Tigers (14-7) avenged the loss with a 3-1 win in the nightcap.

Game 1 – W, 6-4 (9 inns.)

Just when they needed the most, the Loggers found the gaps at Bell Field to push their way to an extra inning victory. The Loggers smashed run-scoring doubles in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Carolyn Moore was the first to break the silence with a double to left, scoring Brianna Huber. In the fourth, Joleen Monfiletto helped herself as the starting pitcher with another RBI-double. Aryn Grause then took her turn to come up big with a double to right center to score Christina Demuelenaere. Grause finished with a team-high three RBI.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers pushed their first run across on a double from Ashley Noone. In the sixth, the Tigers fought back to tie up the game at 3-3 on a RBI-single Jacqueline Shimamoto.

As both teams were held scoreless in the seventh, the game went into extra innings. In the eighth, Grause's single put the Loggers up one. However, the Tigers answered in the bottom of the eighth with another run to knot the game at 4-4.

In the ninth, Elayna Van Hess put the Loggers back up with an RBI-single and Grause drew a bases loaded walk to put the Loggers up 6-4.

Auriel Sperberg found herself in a bit of a jam with one out in the ninth, but fanned the last two batters to clinch the win for the Loggers. Sperberg tossed the final 3.1 innings and struck out three while allowing just one unearned run.

Monfiletto had a tough-luck no decision after starting the game and holding the Tigers scoreless through four innings. She allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out one.

Game 2 – L, 1-3

After a lengthy first game, the pitchers settled into a pitcher's duel in the nightcap with Occidental coming away with a narrow victory. Jennifer Davis took the ball in the circle for the Loggers against Amber Garland for the Tigers.

Davis allowed four hits and one run in 1.2 innings. Shimamoto stroked an RBI-single in the second to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Tigers hung up one more in the third and Patricia Phillimeano smashed a solo home run in the fifth for an insurance run.

Garland didn't need much as she scattered eight Logger hits over seven innings and allowed just one run to cross the plat in the seventh. Demuelenaere knocked in Van Hess with a double to center to avoid the shutout.

The Loggers concluded their road trip through southern California with a 2-4 record. They will jump back into their NWC schedule next week when they host Lewis & Clark on Mar. 25 in a makeup doubleheader.