BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball team swept Western Washington University by scores of 11-1 and 8-4 Monday afternoon to extend its winning streak to seven games and secure sole custody of the top spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The Wildcats (14-5, 7-1 GNAC), used a pair of four run innings to come from behind to defeat the Vikings in extra innings in game two of the double header. In game one, the Wildcats scored 11 runs and starting pitcher
Kiana Wood shut down the WWU attack to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Kailyn Campbell pushed her season average to .536, going 5 for 7 on the day with four runs scored and a pair of runs batted in.
Taylor Ferleman went 4 for 7, scoring three runs and driving in two. A total of eight players collected RBIs on the day with five players recording two.
In game one the Wildcats struck first in the third inning when
Sammy Morris doubled to center field and advanced home on the combination of a wild pitch and a throwing error. Four batters later, Ferleman singled home Campbell to put CWU up 2-0.
Up 2-1 entering the fifth, CWU scored three runs in each of the final three innings to secure the 11-1 victory. In the scoring process, junior
Sarah Gilliam launched her first homerun on the season, taking a 2-2 offering over the left field wall.
The Wildcats fell behind in the first inning of game two on a three run frame by the Vikings, thanks to a two-run homerun by Emily Benson. The Vikings added another run in the fourth to take a commanding 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, the CWU bats came alive scoring four runs in the inning, with
Sammy Morris picking up two runs on a triple to left center.
Kylie Sweeney pitched in relief of starter
Kayla Smith, going the final 4.1 innings to improve to 2-0 on the season. Sweeney struck out the last batter of the seventh inning to force extra innings, with runners in scoring position.
In the eighth inning, Campbell,
Paige Liikala, and
Rachael Johnson each record run scoring singles as the Wildcats pieced together four runs to take an 8-4 lead. Western Washington loaded the bases in the eighth, and Sweeney forced a ground ball to third base where
Savannah Egbert touched her base and fired the runner out at first to end the game.
The pair of victories marked the first road sweep of Western Washington since 2011.
The Wildcats will make their home debut this weekend when they play host to Concordia University and Western Oregon University starting on Mar. 25 at 1 p.m.
