Box Score vs. Humboldt State
Box Score vs. UC San Diego
Box Score vs. San Francisco State

TURLOCK, Calif. (Mar. 30) -- Junior CASSI ELLIS (East Wenatchee/Eastmont HS) went 3 for 3 with a home run and three runs batted in, leading the Central Washington University softball team to a 3-1 victory over Humboldt State University in the opening game of the 2012 Tournament of Champions, presented by Mizuno, at Pedretti Sports Complex on Friday. The Wildcats later lost to 20th-ranked UC San Diego, 5-0, and to San Francisco State University, 5-4, to finish the opening day of tournament play with a 1-2 record.

The Wildcats are now 10-17 overall.

Ellis and senior BRE THOMAS (Vancouver/Columbia River HS) had three hits apiece, combining for six of Central Washington's nine hits in the win over Humboldt State. Ellis drove home the game's first run with a single up the middle in the fourth inning, bringing home junior pinch-runner KYLEEN SWEEPE (North Bend/Mount Si HS). Freshman HEIDY WELLS (Tacoma/Stadium HS) had reached on a two-base fielding error prior to Ellis' RBI single. In the sixth, Ellis blasted a two-run home run to center field, scoring Wells for a 3-0 lead.

Sophomore pitcher MARIA GAU (Woodinville) had her way with the Lumberjack lineup, taking a three-hit shutout into the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Courtney Hiatt led off the final inning with a solo home run for Humboldt State, breaking up Gau's bid for her second career shutout.

Gau, who improved to 6-8 on the season, struck out eight Lumberjack hitters without walking anybody.

In the second game of the day, Central Washington was involved in a low-scoring affair against defending national champion UC San Diego, as Wells held the Tritons scoreless through five innings, but five runs in the final two frames by UCSD resulted in a 5-0 loss for the Wildcats.

Wells induced 14 fly-ball outs in her six innings of work, but kept UC San Diego scoreless until the sixth. The Tritons broke the 0-0 tie with a sacrifice fly after a leadoff single and an error, and they then tacked on a second run on a single by Jennifer Spangler to make it 2-0.

Central Washington had consecutive singles by seniors JEN SCHWARTZ (Spokane/Shadle Park HS) and CARRINA WAGNER (Tacoma/Spanaway Lake HS) to start the sixth inning, prompting UCSD to summon All-American pitcher Camille Gaito in relief. Gaito proceeded to retire all three hitters she faced in the inning -- and all six she saw over two frames -- while the Tritons added three unearned runs in the top of the seventh for the final five-run margin.

CWU managed just three hits in the game -- all singles -- with two off the bat of Schwartz. Kris Lesovsky and Kirsten Willmon had two hits each for UC San Diego.

In the final game of the day for the Wildcats, Wells hit her first career home run to give CWU a 2-0 first-inning lead, but a five-run, six-hit third inning by San Francisco State put the Wildcats in a hole and they were unable to complete a comeback in the eventual 5-4 loss.

Wells, who finished the SF State game with two hits in four at-bats, belted a full-count pitch over the left-center field fence to give the Wildcats the lead. The edge remained until the third, when the Gators (10-22) pieced together six hits against two pitchers and took the lead.

Central Washington scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to close the gap to one run, as Ellis looped a two-run single past the first base bag, but after loading the bases again with one out, consecutive groundouts thwarted a potential game-tying opportunity for the Wildcats.

CWU was outhit 14-6 by SF State, with Wells turning in the only multi-hit game for the Wildcats. All nine Gator starters had at least one hit, including a 3 for 4 outing from Kelsey Murakami.

Central Washington is scheduled to play two games on Saturday to wrap up pool play. The Wildcats are slated to face Cal State East Bay at 2:15 p.m. at Pitman High School before their 5:45 p.m. game against 16th-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay back at the Pedretti Complex.