ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Rhaney Harris tossed a one-hitter as Central Washington University softball split its doubleheader against Simon Fraser, 8-0 and 11-5.
QUOTABLE
"Rhaney was great this weekend," CWU Head Coach Joe DiPietro said. "She was dialed in and ahead of hitters all weekend. Pitched great, hit her spots, and kept her pitch count low. We hit well in the first game. When you get that kind of production from your lineup, your chances of being successful and winning really increase. I liked what we did offensively in the first game; we were aggressive and attacked the ball. I'm disappointed in the second game, I thought our energy was a little flat. That's something we can't afford to do. Defensively, we really hurt us."
GAME ONE | SFU 0, CWU 8 (5 INNINGS)
Harris (6-7) threw a gem for the Wildcats (12-15, 6-6 GNAC) in the opener. She allowed just one hit and a pair of walks as she blanked Simon Fraser (10-13, 5-7 GNAC). She needed just 57 pitches to nab her sixth win of the year.
Julia Hansen (1-3) was charged with the loss. She allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits and two walks, through 1.2 innings of work. Anissa Zacharczuk went the final 2.1 for SFU. Alex Ogg had the lone hit for SFU.
Central's bats went to work in the bottom of the second. Ashlee Laver drove in the first run of the game with a single up the middle. Two batters later, Harlee Carpenter drove in a pair with double to center. Allie Thiessen then traded places with Carpenter, before Alyssa Benthagen singled home Thiessen for a 5-0 lead.
A triple from Jillian Hampson plated Makenna King. Hampson scored on the play after a throw from shallow right caromed off the third baseman into left field.
In the bottom of the fourth, King drove in Myiah Seaton with a single through the middle for an 8-0 lead.
Harris rolled three ground balls in the top of the fifth to secure the victory for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats finished with 13 hits as eight of their nine starters recorded at least one hit. Carpenter, Thiessen, Seaton, and Hampson each recorded two hits. Benthagen pushed her hitting streak to 17 games with her single.
GAME TWO | SFU 11, CWU 5
Simon Fraser utilized crooked numbers in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to prevent the Wildcats from recording a series sweep.
Isabel Womack (5-4) Allowed eight runs, five earned, on nine hits over 3.1 innings. She walked just three and struck out a pair. Zacharczuk (7-7) earned the win in relief, tossing 4.2 innings. She allowed two earned runs on three hits.
A three-run home run from Chelsea Hotner opened the scoring in the third inning for Simon Fraser. Hannah Boulanger reached on an error to open the inning, before Womack recorded two outs over the next two hitters. After a single put two aboard, Hotner took an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right for a 3-0 lead.
The Wildcats wasted no time in responding. Hampson led off the bottom half of the third with a single and scored two batters later on a double from Karsyn Decker. A wild pitch two batters later allowed Decker to score. The wild pitch signaled the end of Makayla Benz's outing in the circle as Zacharczuk took over with a 2-0 count to Thiessen. The Wildcats' center fielder hit a flare into right field for a single, scoring Carpenter to tie the game at 3-3.
Another offensive explosion from SFU in the fourth put Simon Fraser ahead 8-3. They scored five runs thanks to three RBI doubles and an RBI single. In the bottom of the fourth, a productive ground out from Hampson brought Seaton in from third, making it a four-run game at 8-4.
With two outs, a dropped fly ball in the fifth inning allowed two runs to score for Simon Fraser. A double then brought home a third run, giving SFU an 11-4 lead.
Brooke Jordan roped an RBI double in the fifth, bringing Central's deficit to six.
Keegan Wise was the only Wildcat to reach in the final two innings as Zacharczuk held Central's bats quiet.
UP NEXT
CWU heads to the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California for five non-GNAC contests.
