AUBURN, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball team took both ends of its doubleheader against the University of Puget Sound by scores of 8-0 and 13-5. Both games were shortened thanks to Central eclipsing the run rule.
Quotable
"Sam continues to impress in the circle," CWU Head Coach
Alison Mitchell said afterward. "Each game she gets stronger and her confidence is growing. As a staff, we took a huge step forward with attacking early to get ahead of hitters. Our pitchers have proven to handle stressful situations well when coming in as relief. Lexie did a great job to come in and let the defense work. Each game we get better at the plate. Our mechanics are improving and our athletes are starting to see success. Julia was very consistent with her approach both games and it showed with her contact. Our defense has improved and our range is growing. We are getting great first steps and trusting our feet. I know we will only get better throughout the season."
Game 1
The Wildcats' (7-7) offense found a groove early, scoring a pair of runs in the opening frame. A bases loaded single from
Alyssa Benthagen made it 1-0, before
Paige Liikala drew a walk to score Juila Reuble.
In the second inning,
Harlee Carpenter made it 3-0 with an RBI groundout. Later in the inning, Reuble laced a single back up the middle to score
Maddy Zerr and
Allie Thiessen for a 5-0 edge.
Central's offense wasn't done there. A sacrifice fly from Carpenter gave her two runs batted in in game one. The Wildcats led 6-0 after five innings of play.
Keegan Wise reached on an error in the sixth inning, allowing a pair of runs to score and extend the lead to 8-0.
Samantha Stanfield (4-1) tossed six shutout innings. She walked just one and struck out nine Loggers (0-5).
Game 2
Isabel Womack got the start in the second game, as Mother Nature continued to batter the turf with wind and intermittent rain.
After picking up a pair of RBI in game one, Carpenter decided she wasn't done. In the top of the second inning, she pulled a ball through the right side to score Liikala and Reuble.
Alee Cruz then reached on an infield single, scoring Wise from third.
Womack struggled in the second, walking five batters before being lifted. She went an inning and a third, allowed two hits, five walks, and three earned runs. Lexi Strasser (2-1) entered in relief for the Wildcats and earned the victory. She tossed 3.2 innings, allowed five hits, two runs, one earned, walked two, and struck out a pair.
The first batter Strasser faced reached on a fielder's choice, bringing home a run, and making the score 3-3.
Puget Sound struck again in the bottom of the third. Savannah Smith reached on an error, allowing Marissa Oda to score for a 4-3 lead for UPS.
Wasting no time responding, Carpentere launched a ball to the left center field gap for an inside the park homerun. Later in the inning, Cruz scored on a wild pitch. With two runners aboard,
Mikayla Kopacz lifted a ball to left center. She rounded second, headed for third, when hse received the go-ahead from Coach Mitchell in the third base box to stretch her effort for the Wildcats' second inside the park homerun of the inning.
Despite already having three runs batted in on the game, Carpenter blasted a triple to left center to drive in both Wise and Liikala for a 10-4 lead. Carpenter finished with five RBI on the day.
Myiah Seaton drove in three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, making it 13-4 in favor of Central.
A double from Kaitlyn Webster in the fifth brought around Kelsie Sullivan from, but it was not enough for the Loggers.
Up Next
Central Washington hosts Concordia (Ore.) in their Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener on Saturday (Mar. 7).
