Softball | 4/26/2009 3:41:20 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 [Game 1: Box score]  [Game 2: Box score]

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Western Oregon starters Jessica Wood and Jessie Lessard combined to hold Central Washington to six hits and three runs in 14 innings as the WOU swept CWU in a doubleheader Sunday (Apr. 26), winning game one 5-2 and game two 6-1.

The wins evened the Wolves season record at 23-23 and gave them their 20th win in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (20-15). The losses severely hurt the Wildcats (30-19, 26-10 GNAC) quest for a conference championship as they fell three games back with four games left to play. CWU will visit league-leader Montana State Billings for a four-game series which will determine the 2009 GNAC championship.

The Wolves outhit the Wildcats 17 to six on the day including three home runs.

Game 1
Jessica Wood (10-10) went seven innings allowing three hits and two runs while walking two and striking out nine as Western Oregon responded from two losses Saturday to win game one 5-2.

Bailey Rueck and Sasha Koki both went deep in the second inning to erase the Wildcats' 2-0 lead and put the Wolves in front 3-2. That would be all Wood needed as she retired 15 of the next 18 hitters and did not allow a CWU runner past second base.

Emily Kenagy, Tyler Sutherland, Rueck and Koki all had two hits apiece as Western Oregon had 10 hits to Central Washington's three. Kenagy added on two more runs for WOU in the top of the third on a two-out bloop single to left center.

Western Oregon was finally able to break through against CWU starting pitcher Linse Vlahovich for 10 hits and five runs after she had been responsible for all three of the Wildcats' previous wins in the series.

Game 2
Jessie Lessard earned her second win of the series as she held Central Washington to one run on three hits while striking out five and walking none.

The Wolves put six runs on the board in support of Lessard, their highest run total of the series. Tierra-Lyn Cuba got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the fourth inning and added an RBI double in the sixth, as she was2-for-3 with two runs scored three RBI in the game. WOU would add two more in the sixth on a two-run double single by Bailey Rueck and a RBI double by Miranda Little.

After Cuba's home run gave Western Oregon the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third, Lessard retired nine of the next 10 batters including getting out of a one-out runner on third jam in the fifth.

WOU was able to make the most of its opportunities in this game as it scored six runs on seven hits and left just two runners on base.

"We want to finish the season strong," Western Oregon head coach Pam Knox said. "Our theme of the day was to 'rise up' and we came out playing well and did everything we could to win."

The Western Oregon softball team will close out its season at Western Washington May 1-2 as plays the Vikings in a pair of doubleheaders.