Box Score Ellensburg, Wash (May 1^st) – The Central Washington University softball team scratched out an 8-7 win versus Western Washington University in the first round of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament.  

With the Wildcats losing 7-6 in the fifth inning, Micheala Hazlett hit the first pitcher she saw a crushed a two-run homerun to centerfield which proved to be the game-winning runs in the contest as the Wildcats took a 8-7 lead on the roundtripper.
 
The Wildcats fell in an early hole, but answered with multiple runs in the second and third innings.
 
The two-run second came with two-outs as the Wildcats forced three walks in the inning and capitalized on a Jordan Zurfluh (Adna, WA, Adna) RBI single that scored Michaela Hazlett (Purcell, OK, Purcell).
 
The third inning would prove to be more prosperous as Taylor Ferleman (Bellevue, WA, Lake Washington), Jill McDaniels (Walla Walla, WA, Walla Walla), Austin Wilkerson (Ferndale, WA, Sehome) and Kailyn Campbell (Duvall, WA, Cedarcrest) all singled to leadoff the inning. Zurluh again would close the inning with her second RBI single of the game to increase the lead to 6-1.
 
Recently named GNAC-pitcher of the year, Maria Gau (Woodinville, WA, Woodinville), hit a speed bump in the fourth inning as five Vikings runs crossed the plate courtesy of three Wildcat errors, with one of the CWU miscues allowing three Vikings to cross the plate.
 
Gau, finished the game unscathed putting zeros on the board in the final three frames. She was aided by her seven strikeouts and surrendering just two earned runs.

The Wildcats will take on Western Oregon University at 2 p.m. in the second round.  If the Wildcats win the game they will advance to the championship game on Saturday at noon, and if they happen to lose they will play a loser out game tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.