ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Freshman pitcher
Lexie Strasser took a perfect game into the fifth and final inning to pick her fourth win of the season to help lead the Central Washington University softball team earn a series sweep over Montana State Billings Sunday afternoon.
Strasser walked one batter in the fifth and gave up one hit earning the complete game victory, striking out two batters in the game. Strasser forced 10 ground outs and used just 59 pitchers in the 10-0 game one victory.
The Wildcats, who improved to 10-4, 4-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic conference, scored 10 more runs in game two to finish the sweep with a score of 10-2.
Taylor Williams went 4.1 innings in the nightcap, earning her third win of the season (3-0), and
Kayla Smith earned her second save of the season, pitching the final 0.2 innings.
Theresa Moyle and
Jacie McDaniels each picked up three hits on the day, with Moyle adding three runs batted in. McDaniels drove in two runs and scored twice.
GAME ONE – 10-0 Win
Montana State Billings (10-14, 2-6 GNAC), struggled in the first inning, committing five errors in the frame, leading to four runs for the Wildcats. Moyle plated Reuble on an infield single as the Wildcats scored three more on Yellowjacket miscues.
The third inning was also a big one for CWU, scoring five runs on a pair of hits. The Wildcats earned four walks in the frame once of which on an
Alycia Bannan bases loaded at bat that scored
Hannah Spero.
The final Central Washington run of the opener came on a two out single by
Maddy Zerr, scoring
Sydney Brown who reached base with her first collegiate hit earlier in the inning.
GAME TWO – 10-2 Win
The Wildcats scored in the first inning for the 10
th time this season, pushing three runs across on RBI singles by Reuble and Moyle, and a bases loaded walk by
Kayla Ellis.
Up 5-2 in the fifth inning, the Wildcats ensured the series sweep by totaling five runs in the bottom half of the inning to enforce the eight-run rule.
Celine Fowler loaded the bases with an infield single and McDaniels followed with a two-run single down the left field line. Four batters later,
Kayla Ellis hit a pop fly in front of the home plate, and confusion by the Yellowjackets resulted in two-run double to cap the 10-2 win.
UP NEXT
Central Washington will travel to Oregon next week to take on Concordia University on Mar. 17 before a two-game set with Western Oregon on Mar. 18. Both double headers are slated for a 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. start.