Softball | 3/20/2010 4:52:42 PM

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

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University softball team used two big innings to complete the four-game sweep of Northwest Nazarene, Saturday, Mar. 20. The Wolves took game one 6-2 and game two 7-3.

The wins move WOU to within one game of Great Northwest Athletic Conference leader Central Washington, pending results of today's games. The Wolves are now 13-8 on the season and 11-5 in the GNAC. The losses dropped NNU to 4-16 on the season and in the conference.

Game 1
Western Oregon batted around in the first inning to build a 5-0 lead and never gave it up en route to a 6-2 win. Six straight batters recorded a hit for the Wolves in the first, including a two-run homer by Bailey Rueck. WOU also got three consecutive doubles in the inning by Amanda Fleer, Miranda Little and Ellen Bogardus.

Rueck, Fleer and Little each had two hits, accounting for six of the Wolves' nine hits in the game. Rueck also added two RBI on her third home run of the season, and four other Western Oregon student-athletes added one apiece.

Jessica Wood (1-3) picked up her first win of the season. She went the first 5.2 innings while allowing five hits and two runs including striking out seven batters. Kelsey White came into the game in the top of the six with two runners on and got out of the jam to earn her first career save.

Emily Renfrow and Arielle Chao had two hits apiece for NNU.

Game 2
The Wolves faced their first deficit of the series after NNU scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning, but their bats answered by putting six runs on the board, and they would go on to the 7-3 win.

With one out Miranda Little doubled to get things started. She gave way to pinch runner Chelsey Grigsby, who scored on a single by Jessica Wood to tie the game. Wood's hit seemed to ignite the Wolves' bats as Kendra George followed with a triple and Andrea Bailey with a two-out single to put the Wolves up 4-2. Bailey Rueck then doubled to right center and Jessica Hallmark capped off the inning with a homer as WOU went up 7-2.

Stephanie Albrecht would take it the rest of the way to improve to 3-0 on the season. She allowed three hits and one run while recording three strikeouts after taking over for Brittany Reeves in the fourth.

Jessica Hallmark went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and a stolen base. Miranda Little also had a multi-hit game for WOU as she went 2-for-2 with a double. Andrea Bailey scored two runs out of the second spot in the lineup.

Cat Lowery was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Crusaders. Nicole Grummons added two RBI, as she went 2-for-3. Grummons (2-7) also picked up the loss after giving up all seven runs (six earned).

Next games
The Wolves will now prepare for the Mizuno Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., Mar. 26-28.