ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University softball team takes on rival Western Washington University in a mid-week doubleheader.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, March 12
1:00 p.m. / 3:00 p.m.
Vs Western Washington
Ellensburg, WA
Frederick Field
 
QUOTABLE
"This is a quick turnaround for us from this past weekend, but it's important we get these games in," CWU Head Coach Alison Mitchell said.  "Western is a good team and with Anna Kasner, will be a very challenging opponent for us.  We need to play consistently on defense and continue to improve our approach at the plate."
 
SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
The Vikings sit at 9-11 overall on the season, with a mark of 4-4 in GNAC play.  Away from home, Western is 0-3 on the year.  They are 5-3 at home in Bellingham and just 4-8 otherwise.
 
Western recently took three of four from Northwest Nazarene University.  They blanked the Nighthawks 4-0, before falling 9-7. The Vikings then shutout NNU in consecutive games, 4-0 and 6-0.
 
Through 20 games, Dakota Brooks leads the Vikings offensively.  She is hitting .383, with a slash line of .383/.479/.717.  Brooks has hit four homeruns and driven in 10 runs, a team high in both categories.  She has also hit four doubles and two triples.  Brooks has scored 11 times and drawn 11 walks.  She leads the Vikings in the following categories: average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples, homeruns, runs batted in, and OPS (1.196).  Brooks has nearly double the total bases of the next Viking, outpacing Chantelle Shimabukuro 43-26.  Western Washington is hitting .276 on the season as a team.  The Vikings have sent nine balls into the seats and driven in 81 runners. 
 
In the circle, Anna Kasner has made 12 starts with a record of 7-4.  Through 77 innings, Kasner has posted an ERA of 1.82 and a WHIP of 1.17.  She has struck out 96 hitters, allowed just two homeruns, and is holding opposing hitters to an average of .187.  Kasner has tossed 11 complete games.  As a staff, the Vikings' pitchers hold an ERA of 2.68 and a WHIP of 1.40.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats went 3-1 against Concordia University (Ore.) and Western Oregon University.  Central Washington swept the Cavaliers before splitting with the Wolves.
 
Samantha Stanfield earned the win in game one against the Cavaliers.  She went the distance, allowing just four hits and a pair of unearned runs.  She struck out five hitters en route to her sixth victory of the year. 
 
Julia Reuble hit a one-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the second to put CWU up 2-0.  Later in the game, a two-run double from Sydney Brown gave the 'Cats a 4-2 lead.  Allie Thiessen then brought around Brown with a two-out single. 
 
In game two, Lexie Strasser earned the win in game two.  She went seven innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, and she struck out five.  Strasser retired the first seven hitters she faced before the Cavaliers could manage a runner.
 
Brown laced a single in the bottom of the fourth to score Adriana Lomeli-Smith and give CWU a 4-3 lead.  At the inning's close, Central led 9-3. 
 
On Sunday, the Wildcats fell 10-6 in game one to Western Oregon.  In game two, Strasser nabbed her fourth win of the season.  She went seven complete and allowed six hits, three earned runs, and struck out one. She also finished with eight assists. 
 
Harlee Carpenter hit a towering homerun in the bottom of the first inning after the Wolves scratched across a run in the top half of the first.  Brown followed with a two-run double later in the inning, taking a 3-1 lead.  Carpenter went to work again in the second inning, scoring a pair with a single up the middle.
 
The freshman second baseman finished with four hits and five runs batted in in game two.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Carpenter laced an offering into the left center field gap, scoring Keegan Wise.  Maddy Zerr followed her with a double to right center to score Carpenter for an 8-4 lead.