ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Mar. 20) – The Central Washington University softball team has won eight consecutive games and have yet to lose in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Wildcats look to keep the streak alive, hosting a doubleheader against Western Oregon on Saturday that starts at 1:00 p.m. Then on Sunday, Concordia (Ore.) is in town for a doubleheader that starts at 12:00 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
Saturday | March 23
DH vs. Western Oregon
1:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.
Ellensburg, Wash. | Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field
Watch |
Live Stats
GAME INFORMATION
Sunday | March 24
DH vs. Concordia (Ore.)
12:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m.
Ellensburg, Wash. | Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field
Watch |
Live Stats
FROM THE COACH
"We are very excited to be able to host both Western Oregon and Concordia this weekend," CWU head coach
Mike Larabee said. "It will be another very competitive weekend. Western Oregon has been playing very well and Concordia is a much-improved program this year with some quality wins. There are never any easy opponents in the GNAC. Our team knows this and will continue to come out and play the game one pitch at a time and strive for excellence."
SCOUTING WESTERN OREGON
Western Oregon continued to be the most consistent squad in the GNAC when it comes to success. The Wolves posted their sixth consecutive winning season, compiling a 28-25 overall record, and qualified for their sixth straight GNAC Championships. The Wolves did their damage at the plate, finishing third in the GNAC with a .303 batting average and .453 slugging percentage. Solid defensively, the Wolves finished with a .960 fielding percentage and was second in Division II with 0.57 double plays turned per game.
The Wolves return eight position starters and three pitchers. Infielder Ryanne Whitaker (Huffman) earned First Team All-GNAC and NFCA All-West Region honors after she finished with a .397 batting average with 37 runs. 26 RBIs and a .517 slugging percentage. Outfielder Tyler Creach led the Wolves as a freshman with a .409 batting average and finished with 72 hits to earn First Team All-GNAC and Second Team NFCA All-West Region awards. The lineup also includes returners in infielder's Cheyanne Rimer and Sydney Bowers as well as pitcher Haley Fabian.
The Wolves are off to a strong start to the 2019 season, boasting a 12-4 overall record while going 3-1 in conference play. Last weekend, the team had a four-game series against Montana State University Billings postponed. Ayanna Arceneaux enters the weekend as the Wolves leading hitter, batting .452 on the season with 19 hits including three doubles, one triple and one home run. She's also been able to draw seven walks on the season.
SCOUTING CONCORDIA (ORE.)
Concordia, picked eighth, finished 2018 at 20-28 overall. The Cavaliers were far from a pushover, however, finishing the year with a .268 batting average and 3.85 earned run average. The team's 1.49 double plays turned per game ranked fifth in Division II. Concordia will be led by Mackenzie Smith, who finished a .279 batting average and a 3.16 earned run average. She was the winning pitcher in eight of the Cavaliers' 20 victories. Outfielder Macy Besuyen earned Second Team All-GNAC honors with a .346 batting average, 33 runs and a .492 slugging percentage.
It's been a so-so start to the 2019 campagin for the Cavaliers. They're 10-12 overall with a 3-5 conference record. Last weekend, the team went 1-3 against Northwest Nazarene, a team the Wildcats swept in four games two weeks ago. Smith has lived up to her preseason hype, leading the team with a .375 batting average. She has 21 hits on the season, highlighted by four doubles, one triple and one homer. Smith is susceptible to the strikeout, as she's been sat down 14 times this season.
LAST TIME OUT
For the past two weeks, the Wildcats have been on a tear.
Theresa Moyle earned GNAC Player of the Week two weeks ago for her stellar performance in a four-game sweep of Northwest Nazarene. Last weekend, the entire team was recognized after taking four more games from conference foes. The Wildcats took two games from Western Washington 8-6 and 9-5 on Saturday before outlasting Simon Fraser 14-10 and 8-4 on Sunday.
In game one against Western, a double from
Alycia Bannan in the sixth inning cut the Vikings' lead to 4-3, as Bannan plated both
Bethany Balucan and
Kayla Smith. Western responded in kind, plating one with a triple to right field for a 5-3 lead.
Katie Kastning levelled the score line in the seventh inning on a lineout to short.
Paige Liikala and
Keegan Wise both came around to score on a throwing error by the right fielder, tying the game at 5-5.
Lexie Strasser and Shearyna Labasan held both offense in check until the 10th inning. Balucan reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, but she picked up an RBI when
Sydney Brown scored. Moyle then hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Smith. Wise then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing Balucan to cross the plate for an 8-5 lead.
Labasan hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th, but the Vikings could not find their way back. Strasser went all 10 innings and allowed 13 hits. She struck out 10.
In game two against Western, the Wildcats opened the scoring in the third inning on a single from Kastning. She brought along Balucan and gave CWU a 1-0 lead.
Julia Reuble then reached on a fielding error, allowing
Savannah Egbert and Kastning to score on a second error by the left fielder.
The Vikings got all three runs back in the bottom half of the inning when a three-run shot left center cleared the bases.
Reuble then swatted a solo shot in the top of the fifth. Balucan followed her a few batters later by driving in Smith. In the sixth inning, Smith singled back up the middle to score Kastning. It was Kastning's turn in the seventh, she singled to center to score Balucan. A single from Bannan pushed Kastning to third, but a throwing error allowed Kastning to score.
A throwing error in the bottom of the seventh allowed the Vikings to score their first run of the inning. A single through the left side brought around another run before
Isabel Womack took over in the circle. She forced the first hitter she faced to pop out, bringing the Vikings to their final out. After allowing a single, Womack got Palmer to ground out with the bases loaded. She recorded her first save of the season in the 9-5 win.
The Wildcats were down to their final out in game one against the Clan as they trailed 10-9. The Wildcats had runners on the corners when Egbert hit a routine ground ball to the short stop. The ball was fielded, but a throwing error allowed
Alee Cruz to hustle home and tie the game at 10. Kastning followed with a two-run double that scored
Rachael Johnson and Egbert, giving the Wildcats a 12-10 lead.
Maddy Zerr capped the two-out rally with an exclamation point, clubbing a two-run home run over the left center field fence.
The Wildcats plated five runs in the top of the seventh inning and were able to hold on for the win.
Samantha Stanfield came on in relief of
Strasser in game one. Stanfield pitched the final 5.2 innings. She pitched to her defense, getting eight fly outs and five ground outs.
Unlike game one, the Wildcats owned the lead throughout the majority of game two. In the second inning, Bannan worked a walk and would eventually steal second base. With two outs in the inning, Brown swatted a homer, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats plated three more runs in the next inning. Kastning came through with a two-run single that scored Johnson and Egbert. With two outs in the inning, Bannan ripped a double that brought Kastning in to score. Midway through the third inning, the Wildcats owned a 5-0 lead.
The Wildcats added a run in each of the final three innings. The late innings were highlighted by a home run from
Mikayla Kopacz. Kopacz crushed her second home run of the season.
Womack had a strong performance in the circle for the Wildcats in game two. Womack went 6.1 innings with five strikeouts, six of the innings she pitched were scoreless.
Taylor Williams came on in relief and was able to finish the game for the Wildcats.
NOTEABLE GNAC STATISTICS
TEAM - HITTING
1
st in on base percentage - .408
1
st in leadoff hitters reaching base - .429
1
st in average with bases empty - .335
1
st in runs scored per game – 6.95
1
st in home runs per game – 1.00
1
st in runs batted in per game – 5.95
TEAM – PITCHING
1st in wins – 15
1
st in saves – 4
lowest batting average vs. leadoff - .357
3
rd in strikeouts – 95
3
rd in walks – 40
2
nd in walks per game – 2.19
