ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Apr. 1) -- The Central Washington University softball team won both of its first two games at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., defeating Cal State San Bernardino 5-3, and Azusa Pacific 2-1 in extra innings.
 
The Wildcats improve to 23-8 on the season and are now riding a five-game winning streak.
 
Junior pitcher Kiana Wood recorded both victories today to improve to 13-3 on the season, and sophomore outfielder Celine Fowler collected two hits in both games to raise her season batting average to a team-leading .417.  Fowler has now gotten a hit in 19 straight contests.
 
 
5-3 Win Over Cal State San Bernardino
 
In the first inning the Wildcats got two runners aboard and Austin Wilkerson drove in Kailyn Campbell on a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
 
Three innings later the Coyotes responded with a leadoff triple that led to a single run to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Central Washington broke the game open in the fourth inning on a RBI double by Sammy Morris plating Brielle Copodonna, and Taylor Ferleman followed with a run scoring single to center field on the ensuing pitch.  Two batters later Celine Fowler scored Ferleman and Rachael Johnson on a single to centerfield to push give CWU a 5-1 lead.
 
The Coyotes added two runs in the fifth inning, but Copodonna came in in relief of starting pitcher Kiana Wood to shut down the CSUSB bats and secure the 5-3 win.  Wood earned the win to improve to 12-3 on the season and Copodonna added her second save of the season.
 
Fowler and Johnson both added a pair of hits in the game as four different Wildcats recorded a RBI in the contest.
 
 
2-1 Win Over Azusa Pacific (8 Innings)
 
Wilkerson got CWU on the board in the fourth inning with a solo homerun, but the Cougars drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the inning to level the score at 1-1.
 
The pitchers duel between CWU's pitching staff and APU's Carly Xepoleas continued, as the game remained tied heading into extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, with the international tiebreaker in effect, pinch hitter Taelor Griffin hits a single to let centerfield that scored Morris to give the Wildcats a 2-1 edge heading into the bottom half of the inning.
 
Kiana Wood put the Cougars down in order in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the 2-1 victory and improve to 13-3.
 
Tomorrow the Wildcats will face third-ranked Humboldt State University at 9:15 a.m., followed by an 11:30 a.m. matchup with San Francisco State.