Saturday, May 3, 2014

RICHLAND, Wash. - Central Washington second baseman Jill McDaniels hit two home runs, including a two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Wildcats a 6-5 win over Western Oregon Saturday in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Championships at Columbia Playfield.

The two teams will now play a final game this afternoonfor the championship and an automatic berth in next week's NCAA West Regionals.

McDaniels drove in four of CWU's six runs.  She had a RBI single in the first inning and a solo home run in the fifth.  Her first-inning hit gave CWU a 1-0 lead.  Third baseman Andrea Hamada then made it 3-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot.

Western Oregon, however, got a two-run home run from Kelsie Gardner in the top of the fifth to pull her team back to within one run.  McDaniels got one of those back in the bottom of the inning on a solo shot.

It stayed 4-2 until the seventh, when the Wolves rallied for three runs on a sacrifice fly by Bridjet Box and singles by Jourdan Williams and Danielle Harcourt to go ahead 5-4.

WOU had a chance for more with runners on second and third and only one out.  But GNAC Pitcher of the Year Maria Gau came on at that point and struck out designated hitter Raina Reece and Ashlie Gardner to keep the margin at one.

CWU didn't take long to regain the lead in the bottom of the frame as shortstop Taylor Ferleman led off with a single.  Moments later McDaniels ended the contest with a home run - her 11th of the season - to left center.  It was a no-doubter off the bat.

That made a winner out of Gau, her 19th of the season against seven losses. 

Kelli Demianew, who allowed 10 hits including three to McDaniels and two each to designated hitter Kailyn Campbell and center fielder Michaela Hazlett, took the loss.  Hazlett also made a great defensive play in the fourth robbing Box of a home run with a leaping grab.

Western Oregon had 11 hits, three by Harcourt and two each by Kelsie Gardner, Amanda Evola and Box.