BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Freshman infielder Alycia Bannan hit a two-run homerun in the top of the eighth inning which proved to be the game winning hit for the Central Washington University softball team as they defeated Western Washington 5-3 in Friday's opener.
 
The Vikings took game two 8-0, and moved to 12-24 on the season, 6-11 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  Central's 10-4 GNAC record leads the conference, and the Wildcats now stand at 22-9 on the season.
 
Bannan entered in the top of the eighth as a pinch-hitter and hit an 0-2 pitch over the left centerfield wall to put CWU up 5-3.
 
Lexie Strasser by putting the Vikings down in order to capture her 13^th win of the season.  Strasser went all eight-innings allowing three hits, three runs, and struck out six batters.  She used just 95 pitches and forced ten ground ball outs to go along with eight fly outs.
 
The Wildcats scored three runs in the first inning on a RBI double by Theresa Moyle and run scoring ground out by Katie Kastning.
 
In game two the Wildcats were shut out for just the third time this season as Viking pitcher Shearyna Labasan held the Wildcats to just two hits in the contest.
 
The Vikings pieced together a run in both the first and second innings, and expanded their lead with a four run third inning.
 
Central Washington will next travel to Simon Fraser to take on the Clan for a double header this coming Monday, Apr. 9 at 4 and 6 p.m.