PORTLAND, Ore. (May 3) – Julia Reuble was the offensive hero for the Central Washington University Softball team in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships elimination game against Northwest Nazarene. Reuble pounded two doubles and drove in two for the Wildcats as they advanced to Saturday's championship game by a final score of 5-2.
 
Reuble got the Wildcat (32-17) offense rolling in the second inning against the Nighthawks (28-24). Reuble laced a leadoff double into left field. She'd advance to third on a wild pitch before scoring on another wild pitch. Later in the inning, Bethany Balucan bounced out to second allowing Maddy Zerr to cross home plate. The Wildcats led 2-0 midway through the second.
 
In the seventh inning, Reuble came through for the team again. With two outs and two runners on, Reuble scorched a ball into the right center field gap. Kayla Smith and Savannah Egbert hustled home to give the Wildcats a 5-1 lead. The Wildcats hung onto their lead to take the game. Reuble finished the day 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs batted in and a run scored for the Wildcats.
 
"She came up big for us today," CWU Head Coach Mike Larabee said. "She hit a couple balls that had a chance to go out despite the wind. She swung the bat really well all day long." 
 
The middle of the game was tightly contest. The Nighthawks found a way to plate a run in the third, making it a one-run ballgame. Lexie Strasser (16-10) pitched the entire game for the Wildcats. Strasser faced 30 batters and was able to induce 12 fly outs and eight ground outs. Strasser scattered eight hits throughout the ball game. She picked up one strikeout on the day. 
 
"Lexie came back and pitched well in game two," Larabee said. "Her misses were still in good locations. We did a really nice job of playing solid defense behind her." 
 
Strasser was aided by strong defense from the Wildcats. The team did not make an error behind her. Keegan Wise came into the game in the fifth inning as a defensive replacement for Alycia Bannan. Wise made a fabulous sliding catch in foul territory in right field. The out was part of a 1-2-3 inning for Strasser and the Wildcats. 
 
"I saw Bethany going back and then Keegan came out of nowhere to make the catch," Larabee said. "Kayla Smith also made an awesome catch down the left field line in that same inning. Anytime you throw up a goose egg for defense, you feel good about yourself. In the games that we win, we have very few errors in the game. We have to be able to pitch, hit and take care of ball defensively." 
 
The Wildcats advance to Saturday's championship round where they will square off against Concordia (Ore.). First pitch happens at noon. 
 
"We would have liked to have come into the championship game without a loss," Larabee said. "But we've been in this position before. I know that this team will come and be ready to play tomorrow and to compete at a high level."