Box Score vs. UCSD (L, 0-1)
Box Score vs. CSU San Bernardino (L, 4-10)

TURLOCK, Calif. (Mar. 27) -- An unearned run on a pinch-hit single with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning ended a pitcher's duel between Central Washington University and the University of California, San Diego, with CWU falling to the Tritons, 1-0. The Wildcats then surrendered 10 unanswered runs in falling to California State University, San Bernardino, 10-4, on Saturday at the Tournament of Champions, presented by Mizuno, at Pedretti Park.

The Wildcats are now 16-7 on the season but will advance to the gold bracket quarterfinals, where they will meet Chico State (17-12) at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Bracket play is single-elimination, and CWU would need to win three consecutive games to claim the tournament championship.

Against UCSD, junior Lauren Hadenfeld (Vancouver/Evergreen HS) allowed just five hits and struck out seven, but saw her scoreless innings streak of 26 1/3 innings come to a close on Nikki Spangler's pinch-hit single through the left side that won the game for the Tritons (23-10).

Central had a 6-5 hits advantage, but was unable to score against UCSD ace Camille Gaito. The Wildcats had two runners in scoring position and nobody out in the third inning, but were unable to push a run across after consecutive shallow fly outs and a groundout.

Senior Danielle Monson (Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck HS) broke the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record for longest hitting streak, going 2 for 4 to extend her streak to 21 games.

In Saturday's pool-play finale, Central scored two runs each in the first and second innings, including a two-run triple from junior Keilani Cruz (Tacoma/Curtis HS), but the Wildcats managed just three hits over their final five innings and CSU San Bernardino racked up 11 hits against four Central pitchers in rallying for the come-from-behind win over CWU.

Central combined for six hits in the first two innings, but after holding a 4-0 lead, two third-inning errors led to three unearned runs for the Coyotes. CSUSB (17-19) then scored in every inning the rest of the way, tying the game in the fourth and taking the lead with a single run in the fifth. They then added insurance runs in the sixth (two) and seventh (three) to turn the close game into a six-run final differential.

Monson had three hits in as many at-bats to tie the CWU school record for longest hitting streak, pushing the streak to 22 games and upping her season batting average to .531. Cruz and sophomore Jennifer Schwartz (Spokane/Shadle Park HS) had two hits each against Cal State San Bernardino.

Sophomore Lindy Baxter (Lacey/River Ridge HS), the second of Central's four pitchers, allowed the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and suffered the loss. The Wildcats' staff surrendered four unearned runs but walked seven hitters while striking out just six.

Following Central's bracket play competition on Sunday at the tournament, the Wildcats will return to Great Northwest Athletic Conference action with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene University next weekend (Apr. 2-3). The Wildcats, whose three pool-play wins at the Tournament of Champions were the most by any of the six GNAC members, currently sit atop the conference standings with a 13-3 league record.