ELLENSBURG, Wash. – With a 14-3 game one victory over Concordia University, the Central Washington University softball team clinched its second-straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, and its fifth in program history.
 
The Wildcats, who now stand at 33-11 after taking a 9-5 loss in game two, will be the top seed in the GNAC Championships that start on May 4 in Lacey, Wash. and will face either Northwest Nazarene or Western Oregon in the first round.
 
"Winning the conference title was a goal that we set, and to be able to do it back-to-back years is impressive," CWU Head Coach Mike Larabee said.  "This championship is especially impressive, because we had a target on our back.  We saw everyone's best, game in and game out, and I am extremely proud of our team as a whole.  The athletes put in a lot of hard work, and so did our staff, and we have to stay humble and hungry in our pursuit to keep this ride going." 
 
The Wildcats offense erupted for 14 runs on 18 hits in the game one victory, with Savannah Egbert driving in four runs on two hits.  Six Wildcats had six players with multiple hits in the contest as Kailyn Campbell, Taylor Ferleman, and Jacie McDaniels each picked up three on the day, while Kayla Ellis and Rachael Johnson joined Egbert with two.
 
Campbell, who drove in three RBI on the day, became the GNAC's all-time leader in career RBIs with 193.
 
Kiana Wood went all five innings in game one to pick up the win and improve to 18-1 on the season.
 
Campbell opened the scoring in game two with a solo homerun to left center, before the Cavaliers tied the game in the bottom half.
 
Concordia put up five runs in the second, all unearned, with the Wildcats picking up a pair of errors in the frame.
 
After CWU scored twice in the third on RBIs by McDaniels and Julia Reuble, but CU added three more on a homerun by Mckenzie Smith to take a 9-3 lead.
 
McDaniels added a solo shot in the fifth and Ellis doubled home Sammy Morris in the sixth, but the Wildcats could not make up the four-run difference, falling 9-5.
 
The Wildcats will wrap up its 2017 regular season tomorrow against Western Oregon, who is one win away from making the conference tournament.  The double header will be played at Oregon State University starting at Noon.