Box Score: Notre Dame de Namur 11, CWU 4
Box Score: Hawai'i Hilo 4, CWU 3 (8 innings)

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Feb. 12) -- The Central Washington University softball team had a day of two extremes on Saturday, but the end result for the 25th-ranked Wildcats in both cases was a loss as they were stunned by Notre Dame de Namur University, 11-4, and by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 4-3, at the Second Annual MSUB Desert Stinger on Saturday at Majestic Park.

Central, which earned its second-ever national softball ranking in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II pre-season poll, fell to 1-3 on the young season with Saturday's losses.

In the opening game of the day against NDNU, the Wildcats and Argonauts were tied until a six-run outburst in the fifth inning by the Pacific West Conference member school put CWU behind 9-3. Despite a single run in the bottom of the inning on a home run by senior Kelsey Haupert (Olympia/Black Hills HS), the Wildcats could get no closer than a five-run deficit before falling 11-4.

Haupert and freshman catcher Brittany Hope (Winlock/Toledo HS) both left the yard for CWU in the game. Junior Natasha Wood (Graham/Graham-Kapowsin HS) continued her torrid early-season hitting pace with a two-run single in the first inning as she finished the game 1 for 2, while senior shortstop Samantha Petrich (Chehalis/W.F. West HS) had two doubles to account for her 2 for 3 outing.

Three Wildcat pitchers surrendered 16 hits to Notre Dame de Namur, and freshman Maria Gau (Woodinville) was charged with the loss after allowing six runs in 1 1/3 innings.

NDNU (2-7) had five players with multiple-hit games, including a three-hit outing by Robyn Araujo, who was one of three Argonauts to homer in the contest. Allissa Castro and Mary Ortega also homered for Notre Dame de Namur.

In Saturday's second game, a rematch of an elimination game at the 2010 NCAA Division II West Regional Tournament, Hawai'i Hilo outscored CWU 2-1 in the eighth inning and the Wildcats left a total of 11 runners on base in suffering a 4-3 loss to the Vulcans.

Sophomore Carrina Wagner (Tacoma/Spanaway Lake HS) homered to open the game's scoring in the top of the fourth, but UH Hilo countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to hold a one-run lead. Central tied the game in the seventh when Haupert coaxed a two-out, bases-loaded walk to score freshman Jordan Zurfluh (Adna), and the teams went to extra innings tied at two.

With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, Central scored first in the eighth as sophomore Elena Carter (Olympia/Black Hills HS) delivered a RBI single to give the Wildcats a one-run lead but the Vulcans countered with two runs against CWU senior ace Lauren Hadenfeld (Vancouver/Evergreen HS). Amanda Tellez and Bryanna Hardy had run-scoring singles in the inning, including Hardy's game-winner that came with the bases loaded and just one out.

Central finished with seven hits while UH Hilo totaled nine. Carter and senior Keilani Cruz (Tacoma/Curtis HS) had two hits each for the Wildcats, while two players -- Kanani Numata and Nicole Alconcel -- had two hits each for the Vulcans. Hadenfeld (1-2) struck out seven in the pitching circle for CWU.

The Wildcats will look to right the ship in a match-up of nationally-ranked teams in their lone game on Sunday to conclude the tournament. CWU faces 14th-ranked Grand Canyon University (6-4) at 2:30 p.m.