NAMPA, Idaho – The Central Washington University Softball Team concluded their 2026 season with a pair of setbacks at Northwest Nazarene Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUPS:
 
SCORES:
 

• Game 1: Central Washington (6), Northwest Nazarene (14) (5 Inn.)
• Game 2: CWU (4), NNU (5)

 
RECORDS:
 

• CWU: (13-33, 7-17 GNAC)
• NNU: (35-16, 15-9 GNAC)

 
LOCATION:
 

• Bobby Welch Halle Field (Nampa, Idaho)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD SOFTBALL COACH RONNIE LADINES:
 
"Obviously not the way we wanted the season to end, but I couldn't be more proud of how this team grew and developed along the way.
 
A big thank you to Mia Flores for being a rock-solid senior and leader for this very young group. She set the standard every day and truly left he program better than she found it – and that's all I can ask for as a coach.
 
I'm excite for what's ahead."
 
GAME 1:
 
SCORING:
 

• Flores put the 'Cats on the board first in the second when she sacrificed herself to the right fielder which scored Kasi Thomas and was backed by Jessica Reitz-Eaton sacrificing herself to the right fielder which scored Izzy Vargas to make it 2-0 CWU.
• The Nighthawks responded in the bottom of the second, first when Lauryn Bergevin singled to right field to score Lola Crosby and Audrey McKibben followed by Ava Clark doubling to right field to score Riglee Peterson and Bergevin, then Jami Obringer reached on a fielder's choice that scored Annie Swanson and lastly when Emma Bumatay homered to left center field to also score Obringer and Clark and make it an 8-2 NNU lead.
• An error by the NNU third baseman in the third allowed Kayla Brusseau to score followed by Vargas singling to right center field to score Thomas and Brooke Baker to cut it to an 8-5 NNU lead.
• NNU responded in the bottom of the third when Swanson singled to left field to score Peterson followed by KK Bell reaching on a fielder's choice to score Swanson, then Ashley Espino drew a bases loaded walk to score Obringer and finally when Bergevin singled through the right side which scored Bumatay and Mekhia Wagner to make it 13-5 NNU.
• Jadyn Holdren tacked on one more for the 'Cats in the fourth with a double to right center field which scored McKayla Cable to make it 13-6 NNU.
• The Nighthawks took the 14-6 lead when Bumatay sacrificed herself to the left fielder to score Olivia Bailey and give NNU the win.

 
HITTING:
 

• Cable and Vargas led CWU with two hits while Holdren, Baker, and Thomas all added one.
• Vargas had two RBI while Holdren, Flores, and Reitz-Eaton all added one.
• The Nighthawks were led by Swanson, Bergevin, Espino, and Bumatay who all had two hits while Clark, Peterson, and Bailey all had one.
• Bergevin and Bumatay had four RBI while Clark had two and Obringer, Bell, Espino, and Swanson all had one.
• Clark and Obringer each drew two walks while Espino and Peterson each drew one.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Zoey Theophilus pitched the first two innings allowing eight hits, 10 runs, and two walks against 18 batters.
• Reese Anderson pitched the final two innings allowing three hits, four runs, four walks, and earned a strikeout against 13 batters.
• Miah Lusk pitched all five innings for NNU allowing seven hits, six runs with only three earned, no walks, and struck out six of 24 batters.

 
GAME 2:
 
SCORING:
 

• NNU took the 1-0 lead in the second inning when Swanson doubled to right center field to score Bailey.
• The Wildcats earned their first lead of the game in the fourth when Baker doubled down the right field line to score Thomas and Brusseau followed by Reitz-Eaton doubling to third base to score Vargas and Baker and make it 4-1 in favor of the 'Cats.
• Obringer singled up the middle in the fifth which scored Clark followed by Bergevin reaching on a passed ball which scored Obringer to make it 4-3 in favor of the 'Cats.
• The Nighthawks won it in the sixth when Obringer reached on an error by the third baseman which allowed Clark and McKibben to score and give the Nighthawks the sweep by a 5-4 score.

 
HITTING:
 

• Baker led the 'Cats with three hits while Brusseau and Reitz-Eaton each had two hits.
• Baker and Reitz-Eaton had two RBI each.
• Vargas and Reitz-Eaton each drew one walk.
• Clark, Obringer, Bell, Bailey, and Swanson all had one hit.
• Obringer and Swanson each had one RBI.
• Clark drew two walks while Bumatay, Bell, and Espino each drew one walk.

 
PITCHING:
 

• Alex Flohr pitched the first two innings allowing three hits, one run, and two walks but struck out two of 11 batters.
• Ellie Gilbert pitched the final four innings allowing two hits, four runs with only one earned, and three walks while striking out one of 19 batters.
• Rilee McGee pitched the first three innings allowing five hits, four runs, one walk, and struck out one of 15 batters.
• Victoria Frias pitched the next three innings allowing two hits, no runs, one walk, and one strikeout against 12 batters.
• Lynsey Chiala pitched the final inning allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks while striking out one of three batters.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• CWU leads the all-time series 86-50.
• The 'Cats are 35-29 in Nampa over NNU.
• The Wildcats lead conference games 72-32.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will turn their attention to the 2027 season when they look toward their second season under Head Coach Ronnie Ladines.