Forrest Grove, Ore. (Apr. 27) – The Central Washington University softball team secured the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Regular-Season Championship with a 3-0 win over Concordia (Ore.). The Wildcats celebrated their newly-won title by exploding for 12 runs in game two, taking it 12-4 in five innings over the Cavaliers. 
 
The Wildcats set a new conference record for most consecutive regular-season titles with four. 
The 2019 regular-season title is the sixth in program history. Entering the weekend, the team was ranked fifth in the NCAA DII Softball West Region. They also held the 11^th best batting average (.342) in the country prior to the weekend's games. 
 
"I'm really, really proud of our players," CWU Head Coach Mike Larabee said. "They've worked so hard and built an excellent culture. I think our upper classmen have done an outstanding job of leading and creating that culture. I've challenged them today to make our future teams strive to accomplish what they have during this regular season." 
 
Game one between the Wildcats (30-14, 21-5) and the Cavaliers (26-21, 16-10) belonged to Lexie Strasser. Strasser was phenomenal in the circle, picking up her 15^thwin of the season. Strasser pitched all seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five batters. Of the 24 batters faced, Strasser induced eight fly outs and six ground outs. 
 
Katie Kastning was the offensive star in game one. She finished the day 3-for-4, driving in all three of the Wildcats' runs. Kastning gave the team a 1-0 lead in the third inning. She drove in Savannah Egbert with a single to left field. In the seventh inning, Kastning singled through the right side and plated Egbert and Rachael Johnson. 
 
"I thought Lexie was really sharp," Larabee said. "She really controlled the strike zone really well. Katie contributed with timely hits when we needed them the most throughout the first game." 
 
Game two featured an explosive eight-run fifth inning from the Wildcat offense. Kastning was again the catalyst, driving in Egbert with a single to left center field. Kastning scored when the Wildcats took advantage of a dropped fly ball off the bat of Julia Reuble. 
 
The inning continued when Bethan Balucan hit a come-backer to the pitcher that was mishandled. The error proved costly as it happened with the bases loaded. Alycia Bannan scurried home to add on to the Wildcat lead. Mikayla Kopacz came through with an infield single, sending Reuble to the plate to score. 
 
The big hit in the fifth inning belonged to Kayla Ellis. Ellis doubled down the left field line with the bases loaded, as Sydney Brown, Balucan and Kayla Smith hustled home. Paige Liikala got in on the action, putting a ball in play that was mishandled by the shortstop. Ellis became the eighth and final run of the inning. 
 
Despite the margin of victory, game two was tightly contested in the early going. The Wildcats led 2-0 midway through the first, thanks to a double from Reuble that scored Kastning. Reuble would come home on a throwing error later in the inning. 
 
It was knotted 2-2 entering the fourth inning. Another throwing error allowed Alee Cruz to step on home plate. Ellis knocked a single into center field. A throwing error from the Cavalier center fielder gave Brown a chance to touch home plate as well. The Wildcats led 4-2 before they struck gold in the fifth. 
 
Throughout the game, the Wildcats took advantage of defensive miscues by the Cavaliers. Of the 12 runs the team plated in the game, eight of the runs were unearned. The Wildcat did pound 12 hits as a team, as Kastning, Smith and Ellis led the way with two hits apiece. Ellis went 2-for-3 with four runs driven in and a run scored. 
 
Taylor Williams was solid in the circle for the Wildcats in game two. She pitched all five innings, giving up five hits and just one earned run. Williams struck out three Cavaliers on the day. 
 
"The bats came alive in the second game," Larabee said. "We put a ton of balls in play and hit a lot of balls really hard. I thought Taylor did a nice job of settling in after the first couple of innings." 
 
The regular-season GNAC Champs have two more games. They'll take on Western Oregon in doubleheader that starts at noon tomorrow.