ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington University softball clinched a berth to the GNAC Championships as they split the final two games of the regular season against Western Oregon University, 8-5 and 15-5.
 
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"It's great for the girls," CWU Head Coach Joe DiPietro said. "We were picked last, people didn't give us a chance to make it. This morning, I could tell when I got here they were very loose and confident. To put seven on the board in the bottom of the first really set the tone. I can't say enough about Rhaney, she's been banged up, and she really gutted it out. Really thrilled with her performance and the bats came alive; it was good to see them enjoy it.vWe've earned the opportunity to play for a championship. We have nothing to lose as the four seed, I'm looking to getting up there and seeing what happens."
 
GAME ONE | WOU 5, CWU 8
A seven-run first lifted the Wildcats (19-25, 10-14 GNAC) over the Wolves (24-26, 9-15 GNAC).
 
Western Oregon opened the scoring with an RBI single in the game's opening frame. In the bottom of the first, Myiah Seaton wore the first pitch of her first plate appearance, with the bases loaded, to score Harlee Carpenter. Makenna King followed Seaton by roping a double to left, scoring two. Two batters later, Taylor Kai singled up the middle to score Seaton and King. The next batter, Karsyn Decker roped the first pitch she saw down the left field line for an RBI triple. Carpenter, as the Wildcats' 10^th batter of the inning, singled home Decker for a 7-1 lead.
 
Rhaney Harris (11-11) kept the Wolves' bats quiet until the fifth. A pair of RBI singles cut Central's lead to 7-3. The 'Cats responded in their half of the inning. Allie Thiessen drove in Keegan Wise with a productive ground out for an 8-3 edge.
 
After being held scoreless in the sixth, the Wolves' bats found life in the seventh. A lead-off double gave way to five-pitch walk, putting runners on first and second. After a pop-out and a fielder's choice, the Wolves had runners on the corners. A fielding error allowed the first run of the inning to score. A pinch-hit single brought in another run, making it 8-5 CWU. With the tying run on base, Harris forced a fly out to secure the victory and the GNAC Championship berth.
 
Harris threw a complete game, allowing three earned runs on 12 hits. Maddie Mayer (9-10) was charged with the loss. She allowed seven runs, six hits, and three walks through 0.2 innings of work.
 
GAME TWO | WOU 15, CWU 5 (5 INNINGS)
Three crooked innings for Western Oregon cemented their 15-5 victory in the final game of the regular season.
 
They scored three in the first, one in the fifth, five in the third and fourth innings, and added another in the fifth.
 
Jillian Hampson drove in the Wildcats' first run with a single up the middle in the bottom of the second. Brooke Jordan notched an RBI double in the third. Carpenter drove around Kai with a single in the fourth, capping the Wildcats' scoring.
 
Reese Schimmel, Ashtyn Falor, Riana Abeshima came off the bench and each recorded a hit.
 
Isabel Womack (7-9) was charged with the loss. She allowed seven runs through 2.1 innings of work.
 
Western Oregon's Logan Carlos hit for the cycle. She singled in the first, doubled in the second, homered in the third, and tripled to left center in the fouth.
 
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Central Washington University enters the GNAC Championship as the No. 4 seed. The Wildcats will square-off with Northwest Nazarene on Thursday (May 5) at 2:30 p.m. in Lacey, Washington.