PORTLAND, Ore. – The Northwest Christian softball team closed out play in the Northwest Cup on Sunday afternoon with a pair of losses, but encouraging signs continued at the plate for the Beacons as they pounded out 18 hits including three more home runs and four doubles.

NCU opened the day with a 12-4 mercy-rule loss to the University of Puget Sound in five innings. The game started out rough for the Beacons, who allowed nine runs to score in the second inning. On one of those runs, however, was charged to starting pitcher Kalyssa Koontz (1-1), who was victimized by two crucial errors in the inning as eight unearned runs came across.

The Beacons went on to score all four of their runs in a strong fifth inning. With one out, Amber Kraaz clubbed a solo home run to left field. After a pair of walks, Cotie Howard smacked a three-run shot for her first homer of the season.

Northwest Christian dropped their second game of the day to Willamette University, 8-5. NCU had eleven hits in the game, getting two apiece from four different players including Corrie Gustafson (pictured), who hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brooke Davis (1-1) took the loss for the Beacons despite striking out five batters.

Brittany Robles, who had a pair of home runs on Saturday, continued her hot hitting on Sunday, batting 4-for-6 in the two games with a pair of doubles. For the weekend Robles hit a scorching .727 with eight hits. The junior moved into second place on the Beacons all-time hits list as well as fifth on the all-time home run list. The Beacons, who last year set a school record with 16 homers, have already hit five through the first four games of 2009.

The Beacons (2-2) will be back in action on Saturday as they travel to take on Southwestern Oregon Community College in a scrimmage. Next Monday NCU will make their second attempt to travel and play in Northern California with a double-header scheduled against Holy Names University at the Big League Dreams complex in Redding, Calif.