ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Softball Team earned a critical day two sweep to snatch the weekend sweep over Montana State Billings Saturday afternoon. The 'Cats also honored Mia Flores for senior day as she played in her final regular season home games on Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
SCORES:
 

• Game 1: Central Washington (13), Montana State Billings (3) (5 Inn.)
• Game 2: CWU (10), MSUB (9) (9 Inn.)

 
RECORDS:
 

• CWU: 13-29, 7-13
• MSUB: 7-42, 5-19

 
LOCATION:
 

• Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field (Ellensburg, Wash.)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD SOFTBALL COACH RONNIE LADINES:
 
"It came down to doing the little things right all weekend, and this team showed up for it. And Mia Flores? Absolutely clutch. A senior weekend to remember! They fought for every inch, every out, every moment – never backing down when it got tough."
 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• The Wildcats struck early in the bottom of the first when Kasi Thomas singled to left field to score McKayla Cable followed by Izzy Vargas singling to center field to score Thomas and the senior Flores singling to right field which scored Brooke Baker and made it 3-0 CWU.
• The Yellowjackets answered in the top of the second when Cazz Rankosky doubled to left field to score Alexis Tovar and Kendall Klemp to cut it to a 3-2 CWU game.
• Thomas led the response in the bottom of the second when she singled to third base to score Melise Brown followed by Baker and Vargas sacrificing themselves back-to-back to the center fielder to score Thomas and Cable and concluded by Flores smashing a home run to left field to score Brusseau in the process to break it open to an 8-2 CWU lead.
• Thomas followed Flores in the bottom of the third with a homer of her own to also score Cable and was followed by Baker scoring due to an error by the pitcher to make it an 11-2 CWU game.
• Reese Anderson tacked on two more in the fourth inning with a single to third base to score Thomas and Cable and make it a 13-2 CWU lead.
• Wynter Hurst wrapped up the scoring for the game as she hit a home run to left field, but the 'Cats would earn the five inning 13-3 victory to earn the series victory.

 
HITTING:
 

• Cable led CWU with four hits while Thomas and Flores tacked on three.
• Baker, Vargas, Anderson, Brown, Kathryn Piscotty, and Ashlyn Cook all had one hit for the 'Cats who finished with 16 total hits.
• Thomas and Flores had three RBI each while Vargas added two and Baker and Anderson each added one.
• Brusseau, Baker, and Reitz-Eaton all drew one walk.
• Seven different 'Jackets had one hit.
• Rankosky had two RBI while Hurst had one.
• Grace Hood drew the only walk in the game for MSUB.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Zoey Theophilus pitched all five innings allowing seven hits, three runs, one walk, and earned two strikeouts against 23 batters.
• Avery Gray pitched the first 1.2 innings allowing eight hits, eight runs with seven earned, two walks, and had a strikeout against 15 batters.
• Hurst pitched the next 1.1 innings allowing four hits, three runs with two being earned, and one walk while striking out two of 11 batters.
• Ashley Akers pitched the final inning allowing four hits, two runs, no walks, and had a strikeout against seven batters.

 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• Klemp hit a home run to center field to put MSUB on the board with a 1-0 score after two innings.
• Marleigh Nieto added on in the third inning with a single to center field to score Josie Theilen and Lina Delgado followed by Hood singling to left field to score Nieto, then Klemp doubling to left center field to score Hood and Destiny Villas to make it a 6-0 MSUB game.
• The Wildcats got on the board in the fourth inning when Flores drew a bases loaded walk to score Brusseau and was followed by Ashlyn Cook sacrificing herself to the center fielder to score Vargas and cut it to a 6-2 MSUB game.
• Baker got things started for CWU in the fifth with a double to right center field to score Brusseau and Thomas followed by Flores scoring Baker with a double of her own down the left field line who later scored to tie the game at six apiece due to an error by the third baseman.
• MSUB took the lead once more in the sixth when Theilen singled to second base to score Rankosky followed by Hurst hitting a home run to left field to score Theilen and give the 'Jackets the 9-6 lead heading into the final inning.
• The Wildcats took to the challenge as Joelie Eder sacrificed herself to the center fielder to score Jenna Markuson and an error on the throw home by the catcher gave enough time for Reitz-Eaton to score and make it a 9-8 MSUB game.
• Later in the seventh, a wild pitch by the MSUB pitcher helped score Anderson and tie things up and send the teams to extras.
• Melise Brown walked it off for the 'Cats in the ninth after a fielding error by the second baseman allowed Reitz-Eaton to score and give the 'Cats the weekend sweep by a 10-9 score.

 
HITTING:
 

• Baker, Flores, and Reitz-Eaton all logged two hits for the 'Cats while Cable, Thomas, Brusseau, Vargas, and Brown all had one hit.
• Baker and Flores had two RBI each while Cook, Eder, and Brown had one.
• Thomas, Baker, Flores, Reitz-Eaton, and Brown all drew one walk.
• Theilen, Nieto, Klemp, and Delgado led MSUB with two hits each while Hurst, Villas, Hood, and Rankosky all had one.
• Klemp had three RBI while Hurst and Nieto added two and Theilen and Hood tacked on one each.
• Theilen, Hood, Klemp, and Tovar all drew one walk.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Alex Flohr pitched the first 2.2 innings allowing six hits, six runs, one walk, and had a strikeout against 15 batters.
• Baker pitched the next 3.1 innings allowing four hits, three runs, two walks, and struck out three of 17 batters.
• Theophilus pitched the final three innings allowing two hits, no runs, and one walk against 12 batters.
• Butler pitched the first four innings allowing three hits, two runs, and four walks against 19 batters.
• Shelby Wasilewski pitched the next inning, allowing three hits, four runs with only two earned, and no walks against eight batters.
• Gray pitched the final 3.1 innings allowing five hits, four runs, and one walk against 18 batters.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The Wildcats now lead the all-time series by a 64-36 margin.
• CWU is 31-11 against MSUB in Ellensburg.
• The 'Cats lead conference games by a 54-30 margin.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will look to keep the momentum going next weekend as they head to Nampa, Idaho for their regular season finale at Northwest Nazarene.
• The 'Cats and Nighthawks are set to square off on Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2.
• Friday's games are set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and Saturday's games are set for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. with all times in pacific time.