NAMPA, Idaho (Mar. 18) - Freshman pitcher Kayla Smith allowed just three hits in her first collegiate start of her career, shutting out Northwest Nazarene as the Wildcats defeated the Crusaders 8-0 in game two. Northwest Nazarene earned a 5-4 victory in game one.

Prior to today, Smith appeared in three games, all in relief. She added her best performance to date when the Wildcats needed it most after falling to 2-5 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference after the loss in game one.

"Kayla pitched one of our better games in terms of her command and hitting her spots," CWU Head Coach Mike Larabee said. "I've seen her get better and better as the season goes on. She is performing well at practice and her confidence is improving and it showed in game two."

Smith had a lot of help with the Wildcats scoring eight runs over six innings, forcing the eight-run rule. Senior catcher Austin Wilkerson led the charge with four runs batted in, including two off of her team-leading sixth homerun of the season.

"Austin keeps coming up big and driving the ball, in fact I felt whole offense came alive near the end of game one," Larabee added. "We gave that first one away and came back in game two and brought the energy and swung the bats well. As I always say, when we play to our potential on defense, in the circle and at the plate, we are tough to beat."

With the split the Wildcats now stand with a 15-6 record and a 3-6 mark in the GNAC. The Crusaders are now 10-11, 4-4 in the GNAC.

The Wildcats took the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Celine Fowler, Kailyn Campbell and Austin Wilkerson each reached base to start the inning, and with two outs Andrea Hamada laces a double to left field, scoring all three base runners and helping CWU to a 3-2 lead.

The Wildcats nearly escaped with a 3-2 win when the Crusaders hit a two-out ball to right field and outfielder Michaela Hazlett juggled the ball near foul territory, and the ball was ruled to have been touched in fair territory, allowing the base runner from first base to come around and score on the play, forcing extra innings.

Wilkerson led off the eighth inning with a single to the pitcher, extending her hitting streak to 22 games. Wilkerson came around to score on a sacrifice bunt by Alexa Olague that led to a NNU error.

The Crusaders responded in the bottom of the inning scoring twice, the last on a walkoff single to take game one by a 5-4 score.

Fowler got the Wildcats going in the nightcap scoring Rachael Johnson on a RBI single in the top of the third inning. Two batters later Wilkerson drove in two more runs on a single to left field.

Central Washington added to its 3-0 lead in the fifth inning on a run scoring single by Brielle Copodonna a bases loaded walk by Olague to take a 5-0 lead.

Wilkerson put the Wildcats ahead for good on a big two-run homerun in the sixth inning, her sixth of the season, to give CWU an 8-0 lead.

The two teams will faceoff once again tomorrow, Mar. 19 starting at 11 a.m. PDT.