TURLOCK, Calif. – Western Oregon University's softball team opened play at the 14th annual Tournament of Champions presented by Turlock Convention & Visitors Bureau with an 8-0 loss in five innings at the hands of No. 21-ranked Sonoma State University Friday at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

Going against two-time reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Week Amanda Llerena, Western Oregon (11-16) could only muster a pair of infield singles off the bats of sophomores Kelsie Gardner and Ashley Radziuk. Meanwhile, in the circle, junior Alyson Boytz allowed eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits with one strikeout.

For Sonoma State (24-7), three players registered at least two hits with Carlie Daniel going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, one run scored, and two runs batted in. Amanda Rossetta and Holli Brown also tallied two hits for the Seawolves, while Llerena went the distance en route to picking up her 15th win of the season and sixth shutout of the year despite allowing just two hits to go along with a game-high 13 strikeouts that included getting the first nine WOU batters that she faced to open the game via the K.

Sonoma State would begin the game's scoring in the top of the first inning when Rossetta registered a two-out single to center field before advancing to second on a pass ball and coming around to score the eventual game-winning run on a double to left field by Daniel. Alison Strycula would then bring Daniel home with a single to left field that increased the Seawolves' lead to 2-0.

In the top of the third inning, Sonoma State would take advantage of a pair of Western Oregon errors to increase its lead to 3-0 when Daniel singled to right field before advancing to second on a throwing error by WOU's catcher and coming home on another error by the Wolves' right fielder.

Western Oregon would finally figure out Llerena in the top of the fourth when Gardner led off with a single back to the pitcher before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Zoe Clark. Unfortunately that would be all the offense that the Wolves would get that inning, as Llerena would get the second and third outs via strikeouts to end WOU's threat.

The Seawolves would put five runs on the board on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning, including a two-run single up the middle by Ancia Purdy that scored Brown and Karly Macadangdang for Sonoma State's fourth and fifth runs of the afternoon. A RBI by Keeley Ray followed by Daniel's second run batted in of the game as well as a sacrifice fly off the bat of Strycula would cap the game's scoring, as Sonoma State pushed its lead to 8-0 and put the eight-run lead after five innings mercy-rule into play.

In Western Oregon's final at-bat, the Wolves attempted to keep the game alive when sophomore Lexi Jennings reached earning a nine-pitch walk before she advanced to second on Radziuk's single to third base. Once again that would be as far as the Wolves would get on the base paths, as Llerena ended the game with her 13th and final strikeout of the afternoon keeping WOU off the scoreboard and helping the Seawolves earn the 8-0 victory.

Western Oregon will continue its three-game opening day at the Tournament of Champions later today – Friday, March 27 – against Academy of Art University beginning at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Field #1 of the Turlock Regional Sports Complex in Turlock, California.