Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MONMOUTH, Ore. (Mar. 23) -- Central Washington University sophomore Andrea Hamada (Walla Walla, WA, Walla Walla) hit a three-run home run to lead the Wildcats to a 3-2 win in game one of the softball teams doubleheader against Western Oregon University Saturday afternoon.  Central Washington was unable to keep pace with the Wolves in game two, losing the nightcap 4-0.

With the split CWU is now 15-8 on the season and 8-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  Western Oregon is now 18-11, 9-1 in the GNAC.

Maria Gau (Woodinville, WA, Woodinville) again gave the Wildcats a solid start from the circle, throwing all seven innings allowing eight hits while striking out eight batters in the process to improve to 8-3 on the season.

All the Wildcats runs in the opener came off the bat of Hamada.  Maikala Galusha (Battle Ground, WA, Battle Ground) led off the second inning with a walk and two batters later Katie Focher (Missoula, MT, Sentinel) singled to centerfield advancing Galusha to second base.  Hamada came up to bat, and on a 0-1 count, smashed her third homerun of the season over the centerfield wall to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.

The Saints tried to mount a comeback in the third inning scoring two runs on a two-RBI double by Raina Reece, but Gau would shut down the SMU bats for the remained of the contest to secure the 3-2 victory.

In game two, the Wildcats and the Wolves each had nine hits in the contest, but WOU was able to capitalize with runners on base as the Wildcats stranded all nine batters who reached base in the contest en route to the 4-0 loss to the home team.

Galusha and Sammy Morris (Bothell, WA, Bothell) each batted 2-for-3 in game two, with Galusha recording the only extra-base hit in the game for the Wildcats with a double in the sixth inning.

Taryn Smith (Olympia, WA, Timberline) got her first start in the circle and gave up four runs in six innings of work, surrendering nine hits while striking out three batters.

Western Oregon starting pitcher Kelli Demianew improved to 6-5 on the season going the distance and striking out two batters.  Reese provided the majority of the offense for the Wolves hitting a three run homerun in the third inning, her fifth of the season.

The softball team will next travel to Bellingham to play Western Washington next Friday (Mar. 29) for a doubleheader starting at 1pm.