Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)

ELLENSBURG (Apr. 23) -- Central Washington University pitchers Lauren Hadenfeld (Vancouver/Evergreen HS) and Lindy Baxter (Lacey/River Ridge HS) threw consecutive complete-game shutouts, and senior Danielle Monson (Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck HS) tied the NCAA Division II record for consecutive games with a hit as the Wildcat softball team swept visiting Northwest Nazarene University, 3-0 and 4-0, on Friday afternoon at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.

The Wildcats moved back into first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, improving to 22-8 in conference play and 27-13 overall. CWU leads Western Oregon (26-14, 20-7 GNAC) by one-half game. Northwest Nazarene is now 9-32 overall and 8-26 in the GNAC.

Hadenfeld had her third double-digit strikeout game of the 2010 season in the opener, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits in posting her fifth shutout of the year. She did not walk a batter in improving to 16-4.

After leaving the bases loaded in the second inning, Central scored single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, but managed just one run in the third despite four hits. Junior Kelsey Haupert (Olympia/Black Hills HS) broke the shutout with a RBI single in the third inning -- the second of her three hits in the game -- to score junior Keilani Cruz (Tacoma/Curtis HS), who had doubled in the frame.

The Wildcats' fourth-inning tally came on a two-out RBI triple by Monson, and their final run scored on a RBI single by sophomore Meghan Kopczynski (Ellensburg) in the fifth.

Eight of Central's 10 hits in the opener came from the top four positions in the batting order, with multiple-hit outings from Haupert (3 for 3), Cruz (2 for 3), and Monson (2 for 4).

Baxter (6-9), who had lost her previous five decisions, spun her second complete-game shutout of the year in game two, surrendering just a fourth-inning double to Arielle Chao and a sixth-inning infield single to Emily Renfrow. Baxter's greatest challenge to break the shutout came in the sixth when NNU loaded the bases with two out, but the Crusaders were unable to score.

Offensively, Baxter got two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on consecutive solo home runs from junior infielders Cruz and Samantha Petrich (Chehalis/W.F. West HS) to start the inning. Baxter then retired the Crusaders in order in the seventh.

Monson, who finished the day 4 for 7 at the plate, became the third player in NCAA Division II history to have a 39-game hitting streak, reaching on an infield single in her first at-bat of the game to tie the record. She added a single to left field in the third inning that set Central up for its first run of the game, which was driven home on a sacrifice fly by Cruz.

The lead reached 2-0 in the fourth inning as Haupert blasted her 14th home run of the season on a line drive to left field, tying the CWU and GNAC single-season record for home runs. Haupert became the fourth player in the nine-year history of the conference to reach that total, and matched current graduate assistant coach Mallory Holtman as the only Wildcats to have ever reach that plateau.

Neither team committed an error in game two, and Central finished with an 8-2 edge in hits. Monson was the only Wildcat with more than one safety in the finale.

The two teams will complete their five-game weekend series with another doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. The games will also commemorate Senior Day for the Wildcats.