TURLOCK, Calif. (Mar. 23) – The Central Washington University softball team's bats came alive early in the second game of the day, as the Wildcats split games with Concordia (Calif.) and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The Wildcats managed just one hit off of Concordia's (CA) Callie Nunes. The lone hit came from senior
Celine Fowler in the first.
Lexie Strasser (7-4) held the Eagles to two runs, one earned, on three hits, with five strikeouts.
Both of the Eagles' runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning. A one-out double plated a pair of runners and gave Nunes and Concordia (CA) just enough breathing room for the 2-0 victory.
Taelor Griffin lit up the scoresheet in game two. The Wildcats' first baseman roped a two-run double in the bottom of the first, before swatting a three-run blast the next inning. She finished with five runs batted in, two runs, and two hits.
Kayla Smith earned the complete game win, hurling five innings of one-run ball. She allowed seven hits, and struck out seven hitters, in five innings of work.
The Wildcats gave up a run in the first, but quickly negated Dominguez Hills' advantage.
Savannah Egbert opened the inning with aa single and moved to second two batters later when
Jacie McDaniels singled. A two-out single from
Katie Kastning brought around Egbert, tying the game at 1-1. With two runners aboard and two outs, Griffin roped a double to left center and drove in both runs. Rachel Johnson then singled up the middle, scoring Griffin, for a 4-1 lead. The Wildcats combined six hits for four runs in the first.
The second inning was much the same as the first for Central Washington.
Julia Reuble worked a two-out walk, before Kastning singled to right, once again bringing up Griffin with a pair of runners on base. Griffin worked the count full before she unloaded on the payoff pitch for a three-run shot to left center field and a 7-1 lead.
Hannah Spero continued the inning with a single and was followed by a single from
Kayla Ellis. Johnson then worked a four-pitch walk, loading the bases. Ebgert then roped a bases clearing triple, giving the Wildcats a 10-1 lead which held for the final.
The Wildcats are back in action tomorrow (Mar. 24) for a pair of games against Cal State San Marcos and Notre Dame de Namur. First pitch against Cal State San Marcos is scheduled for 9 a.m., while the second game against Notre Dame de Nemur is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
