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

ELLENSBURG (Apr. 15) -- Senior Lauren Hadenfeld (Vancouver/Evergreen HS) threw a five-inning no-hitter in game one, and then picked up the pitching victory in the nightcap as the Central Washington University softball team swept visiting Northwest Nazarene University, 9-0 and 11-10, on Friday afternoon at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.

The wins, which were the eighth and ninth in a row for Central, improved the Wildcats' record to 19-11 overall and 13-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. NNU fell to 13-23 overall and 12-12 in the conference.

Hadenfeld's win in relief came after fellow senior Keilani Cruz (Tacoma/Curtis HS) won the game on a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

In the opener, Hadenfeld struck out six and did not allow a hit to the Crusaders in tossing the fifth no-hitter in the program's 19-year history. It was also the second no-no of her two-year Wildcat career, both of which have been five-inning no-hitters.

Central's offense scored its nine runs over two innings -- the third and the fourth -- and all were scored with two out in the inning. The Wildcats broke a scoreless tie with a six-run third, as junior Liz Jusko (Snohomish) had a two-run single and sophomore Carrina Wagner (Tacoma/Spanaway Lake HS) followed with a two-run home run. Then, after a walk to sophomore Elena Carter (Olympia/Black Hills HS), junior Molly Coppinger (Belfair/North Mason HS) delivered a RBI triple to right-center field and junior Bre Thomas (Vancouver/Columbia River HS) followed with an infield single to make it 6-0.

The lead reached 9-0 in the fourth after Coppinger's three-run home run inside the foul pole to left field.

Offensively, five different Wildcats had two hits in the game as CWU finished with 11 total safeties. Coppinger set a career-high with four total RBI, also hitting just her fifth career home run (including her first-ever at Frederick Field).

In game two, Central built an 8-1 lead after two innings, but Northwest Nazarene tied the game with a six-run fourth and then took the lead with a pair of solo home runs in the top of the seventh.

The Wildcats scored four runs each in the first and second inning, as senior Samantha Petrich (Chehalis/W.F. West HS) hit a three-run home run in the first, which was followed by a solo blast by senior Kelsey Haupert (Olympia/Black Hills HS). Haupert then added another home run -- this time a two-run shot -- to cap a four-run second in which Thomas and Petrich also had run-scoring hits.

NNU stormed back against the Wildcats in the fourth, however, scoring all six of its runs in the inning on three home runs. The Crusaders, who finished with six home runs in the game -- the most ever by a CWU opponent -- had solo homers by Chelsea Allsbrook and Cat Lowery sandwiched around a grand slam by Liz Beaty. Beaty's grand slam was her 11th of the season and the second of the contest, while Lowery's solo shot brought the game to an 8-8 tie.

Neither team mustered much offensively over the next 2 1/2 innings, though, as Hadenfeld (13-6) and NNU pitcher Nicole Grummons (6-14) shut the opposing offenses down. In fact, Hadenfeld did not allow a hit on the day (through 7 1/3 innings) until surrendering back-to-back solo home runs to Lowery and Kristin Refsland to start the inning, which at the time gave the Wildcats a two-run deficit.

In the bottom of the seventh, Petrich, who became the 15th player in CWU history with 100 or more career hits and went 5 for 6 on the day, singled, and Haupert walked on a 3-1 offering from Grummons to set the stage for Cruz, who belted a 2-0 offering over the center field fence for the game-winner.
Most of the Wildcats' offense in game two came from the heart of their order, as 10 of their 11 runs were driven in by Petrich, Haupert, and Cruz. That trio also combined to score seven runs and go 7 for 11 at the plate, while Thomas was 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot.

Northwest Nazarene was led by Beaty, who went 3 for 4 with five RBI, while Lowery had a pair of solo home runs to account for her two hits (2 for 4).

Central Washington, which remained undefeated in 27 all-time home softball meetings with Northwest Nazarene, will host the Crusaders again on Saturday with a noon doubleheader scheduled for Frederick Field.