MILWAUKIE, Ore – The Bushnell softball team had contributions from Seniors and underclassmen alike on Saturday, ending the year with a road sweep over Warner Pacific University, 4-3 and 4-1.
The Beacons finished up the season with a record of 15-29, matching the most victories since a 17-win campaign in 2016. With their win in the opener, Bushnell also improved to 9-18 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, moving into a tie with Warner Pacific (13-32, 9-18) for seventh-place in the CCC. It was the fourth time in the last five years that Bushnell ended just one spot out of the CCC postseason.
A number of individuals also finished off historic campaigns on Saturday. Sophomore
Violet Richardson capped off the year with her 12th home run and 13th double, tying the Beacon single-season record with 25 extra base hits. Ashlee Cole set that mark in 2016. The 12 homers are the second-most in school history and the highest total since the record of 14 was set by Ashlee Cole in 2016 as well.
Junior
Riley Peeler has the unlucky honor of tying Bushnell's single-season record for hit-by-pitch, as she was plucked in game one for the 11th time this year. That is the most for a Beacon in 17 years since the record was set in 2008 by Jenn West.
Perhaps most impressively, with her victory in game two, junior
Sara Martin improved to 8-8 on the season, making her the first Bushnell pitcher to finish as season with a .500 or better record in 19 years. Better still, Martin's final ERA of 2.15 was best for a Beacon in 20 years and the fourth-lowest in program history.
GAME ONE: Bushnell 4, Warner Pacific 3
With Bushnell down to their final out, trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Peeler drew the record-tying hit-by-pitch and Richardson followed, crushing a no-doubt blast to left center field for her third home run of the weekend.
Throwing for the final time in her Beacon career,
Emily Cole (7-14) went the distance for Bushnell to get the win. The senior struck out nine batters, pushing her over the 100-K mark for the season and setting a new career high.
Bushnell had taken a 2-0 lead in the second inning as
Sara Martin hit a solo home run, her third of the season, and senior
Taylor Kenworthy slapped an RBI double.
WPU answered with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom frame, and the Knights took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single.
GAME TWO: Bushnell 4, Warner Pacific 1
The final game of the season brought a magical end to the career of
Emma Fournier (pictured), getting the start at first base in her final game. The senior took full advantage, nearly single-handedly lifting the Beacons to victory as she went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI before coming into the circle to record the final out and pick up her first career save.
All four of Bushnell's runs came of the unearned variety as the Knights committed three errors in the game. The first three were scored in the third inning, one on a sacrifice fly from
Brenna Wilson and two on single to center field for Fournier.
The Knights avoided the shutout with an RBI single in the third inning, and Fournier picked up an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI single.
Martin (8-8) grabbed the victory behind 6.2 strong innings of work, striking out four batters and allowing six hits and just the one run. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored twice.
