Thursday, May 2, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – Central Washington senior Kayla Ellis could not have asked for a better birthday present.

On her 22nd birthday, Ellis went 2 for 2 and hit a solo home run to lead off a four-run fourth inning as the No. 1 seeded Wildcats scored an 8-0, five-inning win over No. 4 seed Northwest Nazarene in the second game of the GNAC Softball Championships at Porter Park.

Ellis and senior Kayla Smith each had two hits in the game to back up a two-hit shutout for sophomore pitcher Lexie Strasser. She allowed just one walk and struck out four batters, all in the first two innings, to improve to 16-9 on the season. Strasser retired the last five batters of the game in order and needed just three pitches to retire the side in the fifth.

The Wildcats opened scoring in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit. Junior Savannah Egbert led off the frame when she reached on an error. She moved to second on a ground out and to third on a wild pitch before plating on junior Julia Reuble’s sacrifice fly.

Central Washington used the second error of the game to spark a three-run third inning that broke the game open. Ellis led off with a double to right-center field and pinch-runner Alee Cruz advanced to third when senior Rachael Johnson reached on an error off of her sacrifice bunt. Egbert wasted no time scoring Cruz with a single to left.

After Nighthawks’ senior pitcher Rylee Thomas coaxed the next two batters into outs, Reuble delivered with a two-run single to right that plated both Johnson and Egbert for the 4-0 lead.

Central Washington closed the door with their four-run fourth inning. Ellis led off the frame when the sent the first pitch from sophomore Jordan Adams over the left-center field wall for her second home run of the season. Johnson drew a walk, sophomore Maddy Zerr hit a two-out double and Reuble loaded the bases on the second walk of the inning. Smith scored two runs with her single to right field and senior Bethany Balucan closed it out when her single scored Reuble.

Northwest Nazarene’s best scoring chance came in the top of the fourth. Senior Anna Williams led off with a single and senior Brittany Genuardi drew a one-out walk, but Strasser coxed a ground out and a fly out to retire the side.

Thomas fell to 8-9 with the loss for the Nighthawks, allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. Adams allowed four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two in 1.1 innings. Williams and senior Abigail Otto had the Nighthawks’ hits.

With the win, Central Washington and Concordia will square in the GNAC Championships’ first game on Friday at 10 a.m. Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon will meet in an elimination game that will start at 12:30 p.m.