NAMPA, Idaho – Central Washington University softball split in its first GNAC road trip against Northwest Nazarene University, by scores of 6-4 and 7-1. Game one went eight innings.
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"We got off to a good start in the first game with some timely bunting which really helped us," CWU Head Coach
Joe DiPietro said. "Myiah came through big in the eighth inning. Second game down 5-0 in the first and we had numerous opportunities with bases loaded twice with no outs and only scoring one run. We need to execute better moving forward."
GAME ONE | CWU 6, NNU 4 (8 Innings)
Rhaney Harris (4-6) didn't allow a hit in the first 2.2 innings of play. A diving play from
Jillian Hampson in right field.
Harris went the distance, allowing just four runs in eight innings.
The Wildcats (9-12, 2-2 GNAC) took the lead in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back singles from
Makenna King and
Ashlee Laver set the table for Hampson. She dropped down a bunt and beat the throw to first, which caromed off her helmet and allowed King to score. A sacrifice fly two batters later from
Harlee Carpenter scored Laver for a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, King drove in a pair of her own. She roped a double to left center, scoring
Allie Thiessen and pinch runner
Taylor Kai, to extend the 'Cats lead to 4-0.
Northwest Nazarene (15-11, 2-2 GNAC) responded with a pair of runs of their own. A single up the middle scored two, cutting Central's lead in half. The Wildcats ended the inning by executing a first and third defense to ensnare a runner in a run down and avoid any additional damage.
Hampson's glove came in handy again, this time in the bottom of the sixth. She made a diving grab in right to keep the bases empty.
A lead-off double from
Alyssa Benthagen, in the seventh inning, gave way to a single from
Myiah Seaton. With runners on the corners, Seaton swiped second before Laver walked to load the bases with just one out. Nighthawks' ace Sidney Booth (8-5) recorded a strike out and a pop out to escape the jam and keep the score at 4-2.
The Nighthawks pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, tying the game at 4-4. Back-to-back hits put runners on second and third for the Nighthawks with just one out. A fielding error and a bunt single brought around a pair. Harris then got Ivy Hommel to foul out for the second out. After intentionally walking Booth, Harris forced McNicoll to line out to left to end the inning.
Carpenter drew a lead-off walk in the first bonus frame. Thiessen followed by laying down a bunt single. After consecutive outs, Seaton roped a 2-2 offering to left to score Carpenter and Thiessen for a 6-4 CWU lead.
A one-out walk to Charlotte Forniss in the bottom of the eighth gave NNU their first runner. The tying run reached on a single from Abaigail Gagnon. Another single through the left side loaded the bases for Kellcie Adams. She flew out to left and a quick throw to the cut-off from
Karsyn Decker kept all three runners stationary. Harris got Emma Mulligan to fly out to center, securing the 6-4 victory.
Bonus clip: King flashing the leather at short in the fourth.
GAME TWO | CWU 1, NNU 7
The Wildcats turned to
Isabel Womack (4-2) in game two. She went six innings, allowed seven runs, eight hits, three walks, and one strikeout.
After holding CWU scoreless in the top of the first, NNU roped an RBI double for an early 1-0 lead. A pair of walks loaded the bases with nobody out. Back-to-back sacrifice flies gave NNU a 3-0 lead, before Gagnon lifted a two-run shot to center for a 5-0 advantage.
Central managed to load the bases in the second, but Tori Hensley (4-2) quelled the brewing danger with a strikeout. The 'Cats loaded them again in the fourth. With no outs, Hensley recorded a strikeout, then managed to cut down a runner at the plate, before forcing a ground out to end the inning.
The Crimson and Black worked the bases loaded with nobody out again in the fifth inning. A lead-off single up the middle from Carpenter chased Hensley. Thiessen followed with a bunt single, before
Brooke Jordan laced a single of her own. Benthagen worked a bases loaded walk from reliever Gina Skinner for the Wildcats' first run. Skinner then recorded a double play on a lineout and forced a ground out to end the inning.
Womack held the Nighthawks scoreless after the first inning until the bottom of the fifth. A one-out solo home run from Booth made it 6-1 in favor of NNU.
The Nighthawks tacked on another in the sixth, while Skinner held the Wildcats off the scoreboard for a 7-1 victory.
