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ELLENSBURG (Mar. 28) -- Junior Jill McDaniels (Walla Walla) tied a career-high and her own single-game school record with seven RBI in game one, and then delivered a game-winning two-run home run in the nightcap as the Central Washington University softball team swept visiting Western Washington University, 10-2 and 6-4, on Thursday afternoon at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.

The Wildcats improved to 11-10 overall and moved into second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings at 9-5 with the sweep. CWU has won 11 of its last 13 games, including a 9-1 record at home during that span. WWU fell to 14-14 overall and 6-8 in the conference.

GAME ONE: CWU 10, Western Washington 2 (6 innings)
McDaniels had a three-run home run, a two-run double, and a game-ending two-run single as part of a 3 for 4 performance as the Wildcats overcame an early deficit for the mercy-rule victory in six innings.

McDaniels, who also drove in seven runs in a game against Western Oregon University just 11 days ago (on Mar. 17), posted the fourth seven-RBI game in the Wildcats' 21-year softball history on Thursday. She is now batting .447 with eight home runs and 26 RBI in 14 conference games this season.

CWU fell behind 1-0 in the first inning as Alexie Levin hit a two-out solo home run for the Vikings, and the Wildcats weren't able to break through on the scoreboard until their four-run third inning. Senior Cassi Ellis (East Wenatchee/Eastmont HS) tied the game with a RBI single that scored freshman Remy Bradley (Richland/Hanford HS), setting the stage for McDaniels' three-run home run.

Junior pitcher Maria Gau (Woodinville) overcame a rough start by retiring WWU in order in the third and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth that preserved a four-run CWU lead at the time. The Wildcats then added two runs in the fifth on McDaniels' double into the left-field corner to make it 6-1.

The Vikings scored a single run in the top of the sixth on Matti Tetzlaff's RBI single, but CWU responded in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring triple from freshman Andrea Hamada (Walla Walla), a sacrifice fly from freshman Michaela Hazlett (Purcell, Okla.), and the game-ending two-run single by McDaniels that extended the margin to eight runs.

The top four positions in the CWU lineup carried the Wildcats offensively, with Hazlett (2 for 3, two runs), Ellis (3 for 4, three runs), and McDaniels (3 for 4) combining for eight of the team's 11 hits. Bradley, the Wildcats' leadoff batter, was 0 for 3 but scored twice, and Hamada was officially 1 for 1 with two walks.

Jackie Rothenberger was 2 for 2, and Tetzlaff finished 2 for 3 for WWU.

Gau scattered six hits over six innings while striking out seven to earn her fifth win in the last six decisions.

GAME TWO: CWU 6, Western Washington 4
In a see-saw battle, McDaniels' lone hit of the game -- a two-run home run -- proved to be the difference as the Wildcats completed the doubleheader sweep.

McDaniels' round-tripper, her ninth of the season, came on a 2-0, two-out pitch that sailed just to the left of the scoreboard in left-center field.

Western Washington scored single runs in each of the first two innings, collecting three hits and capitalizing on a CWU error over that span. The Wildcats rallied back, though, scoring a single run in the third on a two-out error on the infield, and then going ahead in the fourth after senior Elena Carter (Olympia/Black Hills HS) had a game-tying RBI double and Hamada blasted her first career home run to straight-away center field for a two-run shot and a 4-2 CWU advantage.

The Vikings countered in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run by Kaleigh Keating that tied the score, but sophomore pitcher Heidy Wells (Tacoma/Stadium HS) avoided any further damage by inducing a fly out and groundout to get out of the inning with the score still tied. Wells then retired the side in order in the sixth and overcame a hit and an error in the top of the seventh to earn her fourth win of the season in six decisions.

Hamada remained perfect for the day by going 2 for 2 with two runs scored as CWU had just six hits in the contest. WWU also finished with six hits, with Keating accounting for two hits to lead the Vikings.

CWU will host GNAC leader Simon Fraser University this Saturday (Mar. 30) at noon. The doubleheader will also serve as the fifth annual ALS Fundraiser for CWU Softball, and the Wildcats will wear yellow jerseys to commemorate the event.