Friday, April 29, 2016

LACEY, Wash. – The highest scoring game of the tournament thus far allowed the top seed to remain alive Thursday as No. 1 seed Central Washington eliminated No. 3 seed Concordia 9-4 in the fourth game of the GNAC Softball Championships at the Saint Martin’s Softball Field.

Alexa Olague led a 12-hit game for Central Washington by going 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Celine Fowler and Kailyn Campbell added two hits each. The offensive performance held off a Concordia effort that saw the Cavaliers hit three home runs.

With the win, Central Washington survives to play Saint Martin’s in another elimination game this afternoon at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will face Western Oregon for the tournament championship on Saturday at noon. The Wildcats improved to 35-14 while Concordia ends their first season as a NCAA Division II member at 32-23.

Concordia wasted no time putting together the offense they missed yesterday as reigning GNAC Player of the Year Meghan Luebeert crushed a leadoff homer to right field. The Wildcats responded with two runs in their half of the first with Campbell scoring on Olague’s deep single and pinch-runner Tammy Wilkening plating on Austin Wilkerson’s single and a Concordia error.

Courtney Somers added a leadoff homer for the Cavaliers in the top of the second, bu the Wildcats replied with three runs in the bottom half, two on a double by Campbell. Concordia took two back in the top of the third with their third home run of the game, this one a two-run shot to right field by McKenzie Smith. After trading scoreless halves of the fourth, Concordia scored two on a double by Smith and a single by Somers to take the 6-5 lead after five innings.

Central Washington took the lead back for good with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Olague opened the frame with a single and scored three batters later on a single by Taylor Ferleman. Ferleman later scored on a single by Andrea Hamada and Sammy Morris scored on single by pinch-hitter Taelor Griffin and an error.

Concordia had life in the top of the seventh when Smith walked and Destinee Chang singled with two outs, but Smith coaxed Somers into a fly out to end the game.

Kayla Smith picked up the win in the circle for Central Washington in relief, allowing two hits in two innings to improve to 6-0 on the season. Mattie Boucher took the loss for Concordia, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits with a walk in 1.1 innings of work. Kelsie Merritt and Smith led Concordia offensively with three hits, with Merritt adding two RBI.