ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Softball Team will continue on in their GNAC schedule with a trek to Bellingham to face the Western Washington University Vikings this Friday and Saturday.
GAME INFORMATION:
Friday, March 27
Central Washington at Western Washington
Noon & 2:00 p.m.
Viking Field
Bellingham, Wash.
Saturday, March 28
Central Washington at Western Washington
Noon & 2:00 p.m.
Viking Field
Bellingham, Wash.
WATCH:
HERE
LIVE STATS:
HERE
LAST OUTINGS:
The Wildcats began GNAC play last weekend when they hosted the Western Oregon Wolves, going 1-3 on the weekend.
The 'Cats split day one against WOU with the Wolves taking game one by a 10-4 score.
McKayla Cable and
Kasi Thomas led the 'Cats with two hits each while Cable and
Mia Flores had two RBI each.
Brooke Baker,
Kayla Brusseau, and
Adriana Rodriguez all drew one walk.
Zoey Theophilus pitched the first 4.2 innings allowing six hits, three runs, two walks, and two strikeouts against 22 batters.
CWU bounced back for a come-from-behind win over the Wolves by an 8-6 victory in game two. Cable led the 'Cats with four hits while Brusseau added three and Flores tacked on two. Cable had four RBI while
Joelie Eder added two and Brusseau and Flores added one.
Izzy Vargas drew all three walks for the crimson and black.
Ellie Gilbert pitched the final three innings allowing three hits, one run, and one walk against 13 batters.
WOU then earned a day two sweep over CWU, first earning an 11-3 five inning victory in game one. Cable, Baker, Brusseau, Thomas, Vargas, and
Lizzy Turpen all had one hit each for CWU. Baker, Eder, and Turpen had an RBI each. Cable drew two walks while Brusseau and Eder had one walk each.
Olivia Ross made her season debut, pitching the final inning allowing one hit, no runs, and one walk against five batters.
The Wolves wrapped up the series with an 18-10 slugfest victory in game two. Brusseau led CWU with two hits while Cable, Thomas, Baker, Flores, Turpen,
Jadyn Holdren, and
Melise Brown all had one hit each. Cable, Holdren, and Thomas all finished with two RBI while Brusseau and Vargas added one RBI each. Vargas drew four walks while Baker drew two and Holdren, Thomas, Brown, and
Jessica Reitz-Eaton all drew one walk each.
Alex Flohr pitched 0.2 innings allowing one hit, one run that wasn't earned, and one walk against four batters.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS:
Western Washington is coming off of their second-straight NCAA Division II Softball College World Series appearance and has a 14-11 record on the season. This will be the Vikings first GNAC series of the season. They opened the season with a 3-2 record at the CUI Kickoff Classic, taking down Chico State, Chaminade, and Hawaii Pacific but fell to San Francisco State and hosting Concordia Irvine. They then added a victory over Colorado Christian to head into the D2 West Coast Challenge where they went 1-4, taking down Colorado Mesa but fell to Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal State East Bay, San Francisco State, and Cal State Dominguez Hills. In their home-opener they swept Simon Fraser in a nonconference doubleheader. They traveled back to California for the NorCal Crossover where they went 3-2, defeating Stanislaus State, Cal State East Bay, and Chico State but fell to Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State San Marcos. They then swept Saint Martin's on the road in a three-game series before going 1-3 against Western Oregon at home two weekends ago, both nonconference series.
Hailey Rath leads the Viking offense with a .405 batting average, 30 hits, 10 home runs, and 36 RBI, and has added a perfect seven for seven on stolen base attempts. Maleah Andrews is also lethal at-bat, posting a .392 batting average, 29 hits, a team-high 11 doubles, a triple, five homers, and 21 RBI while drawing a team-high 20 walks. Laila Carpenter has a .333 batting average with 23 hits, one double, and a team-high two triples while adding eight RBI and six walks.
Alanna Wirtala leads the pitching corps for WWU, posting a 3.74 ERA, an 11-7 record, seven complete games, and one save in 21 appearances with 12 starts. She's pitched 101 innings allowing 106 hits, 61 runs with 54 earned, 26 walks, and 69 strikeouts against 408 batters. Evalyn Massena is the other primary starter for the 'Vikes, pitching in 15 games with nine starts while earning a 2-1 record and a 5.94 ERA while pitching one complete game and one shutout. She's pitched 35.1 innings allowing 36 hits, 44 runs with 30 earned while allowing 40 walks and earning 16 strikeouts against 139 batters.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will head back to Ellensburg to square off against the Simon Fraser Red Leafs (6-20, 4-0 GNAC). The 'Cats and Leafs will clash on Friday and Saturday April 3 and 4 at noon and 2:00 p.m. each day from Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.
