ELLENSBURG, Wash. – In a battle of preseason co-favorites, Western Oregon University's softball team could not overcome late runs in each game by Central Washington University en route to dropping a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) games, 3-2 & 10-5, Sunday at Frederick Field.

Sophomore Kelsie Gardner led Western Oregon (10-14, 5-3 GNAC) with a combined four hits that included a 3-for-4 performance in Game #1, while fellow sophomore Destiny Kuehl registered a combined three hits with a pair of base knocks in Sunday's finale.

In the circle for the Wolves, junior Alyson Boytz pitched a complete game in the opener allowing three earned runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts. In Game #2, freshman Lizzet Dominguez went the opening 5.2 innings allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits before turning the ball over to junior Stephanie Morgan and sophomore Sammi Cadwallader for the final 0.1 combined innings as the duo allowed two earned runs on four hits.

Central Washington (14-9, 8-4 GNAC) was led offensively by Katie Focher with a combined three hits, while Lindsey Kamphuis went the distance in the circle for the Wildcats in the opener allowing two earned runs on six hits with a game-high six strikeouts. In Sunday's finale, Brielle Copodonna went the opening 4.0 innings for CWU allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits before turning the ball over to Kamphuis for the final 3.0 innings en route to picking up her second straight win on the day.

GAME #1 — CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3, WESTERN OREGON 2

In Sunday's opener, a pitcher's dual with begin the game as neither team scored until the top of the third when Gardner hit a one-out solo home run over the left field fence before senior Amanda Evola ripped a single up the middle to score freshman Zoe Clark following her double to right center as the Wolves took a 2-0 lead.

Central Washington would not figure out Boytz until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Wildcats pulled within a single run (2-1) on a RBI fielder's choice by Sammy Morris that scored Focher.

In the top of the sixth inning, CWU tied the game at 2-2 on a double down the left field line by Focher that scored Alexa Olague.

After holding Western Oregon scoreless over its final four at-bats, Central Washington began the bottom of the seventh inning with a single up the middle by Taelor Griffin before she was pulled for pinch-runner Remy Bradley. Morris would advance Bradley to second base on a fielding error by WOU before Celine Fowler ended the game on a walk-off double to center field that gave Central Washingon a 3-2 victory in the opener.

Gardner led the Wolves' offense with a 3-for-4 performance, while Clark, Evola, and Kuehl each tallied hits for Western Oregon.

Focher was the offensive spark plug for Central Washington with two hits, while five other Wildcats also registered hits in Game #1.

GAME #2 — CENTRAL WASHINGTON 10, WESTERN OREGON 5

After allowing Central Washington to grab a 4-0 lead after the opening inning of Game #2 that included a three-run home run by Kailyn Campbell, Western Oregon scored five unanswered runs over the next two innings en route to taking a 5-4 lead after three innings of play,

In the top of the second inning, Gardner and Evola would drive in runs for Western Oregon as freshman Alex Frazier, sophomore Ashlee Lynch, and Kuehl all scored to pull the Wolves within a single run (4-3).

One inning later, Western Oregon took advantage of a Kuehl two-run single to center field that scored sophomore Lexi Jennings and freshman Amy Anderson to put the Wolves ahead by a single run (5-4).

Over the next three-and-a-half innings, the two teams would combine to register just two hits as five times the defense would register a 1-2-3 inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Central Washington would snap a streak to three straight 1-2-3 innings with a one-out solo home run by Andrea Hamada that tied the score at 5-5 before the Wildcats erupted for five more runs on seven hits that included a game-winning two-run double by Michaela Hazlett before Morris and Campbell added three more RBI resulting in a the final score of 10-5 for the home team.

Kuehl led Western Oregon with a pair of hits, while five other Wolves also tallied hits in the loss.

Central Washington would get multiple hits from Fowler, Campbell, Olague, and Hazlett, while Campbell drove in half of the Wildcats' run with five runs batted in.

Western Oregon will take a break from conference play over Spring Break with eight games over a five-day stretch beginning Wednesday, March 25, with a double header against San Francisco State beginning at 1 p.m. in the Bay Area.