BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Central Washington University softball dropped a pair of tight games to Western Washington University, 4-2 and 3-1.
 
QUOTABLE
"Really felt we should have won both games today," CWU Head Coach Joe DiPietro said. "In game two, we out hit Western 13-5. We just couldn't get a hit with runners in scoring position. Makayla did a nice job in relief in game one and Izzy threw very well in game two."
 
GAME ONE | CWU 2, WWU 4
A pair of two run innings from the Vikings (25-18, 11-5 GNAC) vaulted Western over the Wildcats (18-22, 9-11 GNAC). Central rallied for a pair of runs in the sixth, but Sydney Brown (8-3) quelled the comeback for the win.
 
Rhaney Harris (10-10) was charged with the loss. She threw four innings, allowing four runs on five hits. She walked two and struck out two. Makayla Miller tossed two innings of no-hit relief, striking out a pair.
 
After going down in order in the first, Myiah Seaton notched the 'Cats first hit in the second. She roped a one-out double before Makenna King drew a five-pitch walk. A fielder's choice cut down Seaton at third, keeping runners on first and second. A wild pitch moved King and Hampson on base forward, but Brown forced a ground out to end the threat.
 
It wasn't until the third inning either offense found a way to break the deadlock. A two-out triple from Dakota Brooks plated a pair, putting the Vikings ahead 2-0. They added two more an inning later with a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single.
 
Alyssa Benthagen put the Wildcats on the board in the top of the sixth. She clubbed her 10^th home run of the season, taking a 1-1 pitch to the opposite field. Two batters later, King roped a triple to right and scored on a single from Jillian Hampson.
 
The Vikings loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with the first three hitters of the inning reaching. Miller struck out the next two hitters before forcing a ground ball to escape the jam.
 
Central put three balls in play in the final frame, but were unable to reach base.
 
GAME TWO | CWU 1, WWU 3
It was the Wildcats who scored first in the series finale, opening the scoring in the first inning. Central held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth, when Western plated a pair for a 2-1 lead. They added an insurance marker in the sixth.
 
Kira Doan (9-7) earned the complete game win. She allowed 13 hits, one earned run, and struck out six. Isabel Womack (7-7) was charged with the loss after throwing six innings and allowing three runs on five hits. She struck out three hitters.
 
Harlee Carpenter led off the game with single to right center. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Allie Thiessen. After a ground out pushed Carpenter to third, Benthagen drove her in with a single. Central managed to load the bases with two outs, but Doan forced a fly out to avert any additional damage.
 
Womack and Doan kept the bats quiet for the next four innings.
 
A lead-off walk in the bottom of the fifth was followed by a double, putting runners on second and third. The tying run scored on a wild pitch, before the go-ahead run crossed home plate on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly. Womack ended the inning with a strikeout, but the Vikings had pulled ahead 2-1.
 
The first three hitters in the bottom of the sixth reached for the Vikings. After a fielder's choice, in which the Wildcats cut down the runner from third at the plate, a single drove in the Viks' third run of the game. Womack bounced back with a strikeout and forced a ground out to end the inning.
 
Singles from Thiessen and Benthagen put the tying run aboard for the Wildcats. Pitching with one out, Doan notched a swinging strikeout and a fly out to seal the victory.
 
Carpenter and Benthagen both finished with three hits. Thiessen, Seaton, and King each collected a pair of hits.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are off until they host Western Oregon on April 30 and May 1. Senior Day is slated for Saturday (April 30). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday (May 1).