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

ELLENSBURG (May 1) -- Pitchers Lauren Hadenfeld (Vancouver/Evergreen HS) and Lindy Baxter (Lacey/River Ridge HS) combined on a two-hit shutout in the opener, and junior Molly Coppinger (Belfair/North Mason HS) hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning of the second game as the Central Washington University softball team rallied to sweep visiting Saint Martin's University, 10-0 and 7-6, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.

The wins improved the Wildcats' record to 27-13 overall and 21-7 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. With wins in 17 of its last 19 games, CWU maintains a one-half game lead (two-game lead in the loss column) over rival Western Washington (34-12, 22-9 GNAC) in the conference standings. Saint Martin's fell to 7-28 overall and 6-24 in the GNAC with Sunday's two losses.

In game one, the Central offense scored nine runs in the first two innings to spot Hadenfeld a sizeable lead and the Wildcats cruised to the 10-run, mercy-rule-shortened victory.

Hadenfeld allowed singles in each of the first two innings but did not allow a Saint base runner past second base before being relieved by Baxter in the fourth. The junior then allowed just one runner -- via a hit by pitch to start the fourth -- in completing the shutout.

The Wildcat bats torched SMU starter Joslyn Eugenio (4-13) for 10 runs and nine runs (eight earned) in three innings. Senior Samantha Petrich (Chehalis/W.F. West HS) opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first, and after a double-steal plated the Wildcats' third run, junior Liz Jusko (Snohomish) had a RBI single to make it 4-0. An infield error extended the lead to 5-0 after one inning.

In the second, Central scored its first two runs on an error following a single by senior Kelsey Haupert (Olympia/Black Hills HS), and RBI singles by Jusko and sophomore Carrina Wagner (Tacoma/Spanaway Lake HS) pushed the margin to 9-0 through two frames.

CWU tacked on its final run of the opener in the fourth inning, as Wagner blasted her 12th home run of the season to left field.

Petrich, Haupert, Jusko, and Wagner all had two hits in the five-inning contest as the Wildcats totaled 13 hits and took advantage of four Saint Martin's errors.

In game two, the visiting Saints jumped to a 4-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings before Central Washington rallied to tie the game in the fifth inning.

SMU scored twice each in the first and second inning, first scoring on a two-out, two-run home run by Kristine Kaneshiro in the first, and then scoring in the second on RBI hits by Megan Antonovich (double) and Lacey McGladrey (single).

Central made the first of its two comebacks of the game in the middle innings, scoring twice each in the fourth and fifth to tie the game. Haupert delivered a two-run home run to account for the Wildcats' runs in the fourth, while three doubles into the corners of the outfield in the fifth inning allowed CWU to tie the game. Wagner, Coppinger, and junior Jennifer Schwartz (Spokane/Shadle Park HS) sandwiched doubles around outs in the inning, with Schwartz's two-bagger scoring Coppinger with the game-tying run.

Saint Martin's responded in the top of the sixth by regaining the lead against CWU freshman starter Maria Gau (Woodinville). The Saints scored a pair of unearned runs after two errors by the Wildcat infield, chasing Gau in favor of Hadenfeld in relief.

The Wildcats rallied back in the bottom of the inning, though, starting with Haupert's second home run of the game on the first pitch of the half-inning. The blast was the senior's 17th of the season and the 35th of her two-year career, tying current CWU head coach Mallory Holtman for Central's career home run record.

Walks to Jusko and freshman pinch-hitter Dallas Maupin (Kittitas), the latter of which came with two out, Coppinger laced a 1-2 pitch into the left-field corner to score both runners and give CWU a 7-6 lead. Hadenfeld (20-8) then retired the side in order in the seventh to complete the Wildcat comeback and the doubleheader sweep.

Central was outhit, 10-7, although Wildcat pitchers held Saint Martin's to just four hits over the final five innings. Haupert and Coppinger were both 2 for 3 with three RBI in the game, while three others -- Schwartz, Wagner, and senior Keilani Cruz (Tacoma/Curtis HS) -- had one hit each.

Saint Martin's was led in the nightcap by Kaneshiro with three RBI, while Eugenio, Antonovich, and Morgan Klemm had two hits apiece.

Central Washington continues a busy final week of the season on Monday, as the Wildcats will play the completion of last Monday's suspended game against Simon Fraser before playing a scheduled doubleheader against the Clan. The suspended game will be resumed at 11 a.m.