Portland, Ore. – The Central Washington University softball team lost its 'loser out' contest of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships to Western Oregon by a score of 4-2 which eliminates the Wildcats from the tournament.
 
The Wildcats, who were ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II West Regional poll this week, will have to wait until Sunday to see if they have acquired a berth in the regional tournament.  The winner of the GNAC tournament earns an automatic berth into the national tournament and will likely snatch the eighth seed.
 
The Wildcats now stand with 31-16 record, its third 30-win season in a row.
 
Central Washington got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Celine Fowler drove home Taelor Griffin on a bases loaded infield single to give CWU a slight 1-0 lead.
 
The Wildcats added its second run in the fourth inning on a Katie Kastning walk that resulted in a wild pitch that plated Savannah Egbert from third base.  Egbert went 2 for 4 in the game, her 20^th multi-hit game of the season.
 
Western Oregon did all of its damage in the top of the sixth inning, scoring four runs on four hits, highlighted by a two-run homerun by Zoe Clark.
 
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Fowler drew a one-out walk, and Egbert followed with a double to right center, setting CWU up with runners in scoring position and just one out.  Unfortunately, the Wolves were able to neutralize the Wildcats attack and enter the seventh with a 4-2 lead.
 
The Wolves threatened to add more in the seventh as the first two batters reached base safely in the frame.  Central Washington freshman Katie Kastning would single-handedly put a stop to the inning turning a triple play when the next batter lined out to a diving Kastning who doubled up the runner at second by slamming her mitt on the base and throwing a laser to first to complete the rare 9-3 triple play.

 
The momentum was short lived as the Wildcats went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game and the Wildcats hopes of a GNAC Tournament title.
 
Tune into NCAA.com to watch the NCAA Division II Selection show this Monday, May 7 to see if the Wildcats can sneak into the national tournmament.