Box Score TACOMA, Wash. – Despite a spirited late rally, the Puget Sound Loggers came up just short in their season opener, falling 5-3 to Warner Pacific on Sunday afternoon at Logger Softball Field. A five-run surge by the away squad in the third inning proved to be the difference, as Puget Sound was unable to complete the comeback.
Warner Pacific (1-0) broke through in the third inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues to get on the board. A two-run home run from Kili Makanani highlighted the frame, while a triple by Jordyn Rosario also contributed to the damage. The Knights managed just three hits in the game but took advantage of eight walks issued by Puget Sound.
The Loggers (0-1) responded with a run in the bottom of the third when
Kylie Tanimura laced an RBI triple to drive in
Claire Besancon. Puget Sound continued to chip away when
Alyssa Figueroa launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning, bringing the Loggers within two. Despite putting runners on bases in the seventh, Puget Sound was unable to push across any more runs.
Figueroa led the Loggers with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, driving in two runs. Besancon also collected two hits and scored a run, while Tanimura,
Aislind Dail, and
Mikayla Johnson each added a hit. Dail and
Brenna Flannery showcased their speed, each stealing a base.
Nyomi Estrada (0-1) took the loss despite a strong outing, allowing just three hits over seven innings while striking out 13. However, the eight walks issued proved to be costly.
In game two, a three-run fifth inning propelled the Loggers to their first victory of the season, as they defeated Warner Pacific 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at Logger Softball Field. The Loggers (1-1) capitalized on timely hitting and a strong pitching performance from freshman
Alison Madia to secure the win.
Puget Sound jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Figueroa set the tone with a two-run single, while
Jazzy Allen followed with a two-RBI groundout to cap the big frame. Warner Pacific (1-1) responded in the second with a two-run homer, cutting the deficit in half.
After the Knights tacked on another run in the fifth, the Loggers answered in the bottom half with a decisive three-run rally. Tanimura opened the inning with a double, followed by an RBI single from Dail to regain momentum. Figueroa then doubled, setting up Allen, who delivered a clutch two-run double to put the game out of reach.
Figueroa led Puget Sound with a 2-for-3 performance, driving in two runs and stealing a base. Tanimura, Dail, and Allen each contributed two hits, with Allen collecting a game-high four RBIs. The Loggers racked up 10 hits in total, while their defense played a clean game with no errors.
Madia (1-0) was impressive in the circle, tossing a complete-game victory. She recorded eight hits and struck out six while allowing three earned runs. Warner Pacific's Brianna Munoz (0-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs in just two innings of work.
With the win, Puget Sound splits its opening-day doubleheader and will look to build on its momentum as the season continues.
