Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Mar. 15) -- Central Washington University senior Jill McDaniels (Walla Walla, WA, Walla Walla) belted a two-run homerun in game two to help the softball team earn a split in its doubleheader against Montana State Billings Saturday afternoon at Gary and Bobbi Frederick Field.

The Yellowjackets picked up a 6-4 victory in the opener, and McDaniels big fly along side strong pitching from Kiana Wood (Aloha, OR, Aloha) game the Wildcats a 2-1 win in the nightcap.

Both games were decided by two run homeruns.  McDaniels' homerun came in the third inning of game two with the Wildcats trailing 0-1.  After Maikala Galusha (Battle Ground, WA, Battle Ground) reached base with a leadoff single, McDaniels struck a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall to give the Wildcats the 2-1 lead.

KIANA WOOD and solid defense would shut the door on the Yellowjackets to hold the lead for the remainder of the contest.  Wood (6-2) threw all seven innings, earning the complete game victory, allowing six hits while walking two batters and striking out two.

In game one, Central built an early 4-1 lead, their first run coming on a solo homerun by Katie Focher (Missoula, MT, Sentinel)in the second inning, her first of the season.  CWU followed that inning up by adding three runs in the bottom of the third inning, due in large part to a two RBI single by Galusha.

Montana State Billings battled back to tie the contest by scoring two runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth as the game went into extra inning to claim a victor.  MSUB led off the inning by reaching base on an error and two batters later right fielder Katie Schermele hit a homerun over the right centerfield fence to give the visitors the final 6-4 lead.

Central Washington shortstop Taylor Ferleman (Bellevue, WA, Lake Washington) was 3-for-4 in the contest with a run scored and McDaniels was 2-for-4.

Senior Maria Gau (Woodinville, WA, Woodinville) threw all eight innings, giving up 11 hits and six runs – four earned – while striking out five batters to pick up her second loss of the season (6-2).

The Wildcats will finish up their four game series with MSUB tomorrow (Mar. 16) with another doubleheader starting at 11am.