MONMOUTH, Ore. – In a crucial Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) double header between Western Oregon University and conference-leading Saint Martin's University, the Wolves dropped a pair of games, 9-7 & 12-8, Friday on the WOU Softball Field.

Western Oregon (18-25, 10-8 GNAC) were led offensively by sophomore Kelsie Gardner with a combined four hits, while three other Wolves – senior Amanda Evola, sophomore Emma Alfonso, and sophomore Destiny Kuehl – also tallied three hits on the afternoon. Senior Jourdan Williams would drive in a team-high three RBI for WOU that included her second home run of the season in Game #2, while Gardner tallied a pair of runs batted in for Western Oregon.

The opening game on Friday would see Williams get the start for Western Oregon, as she allowed eight earned runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings of work before sophomore Sammi Cadwallader pitched the final 1.1 innings allowing one earned run on two hits. In Game #2, freshman Lizzet Dominguez went the opening 4.0 innings as she allowed seven earned runs on 14 hits before turning the ball over to Cadwallader for the final 3.0 innings where she allowed five earned runs on six hits.

Saint Martin's (34-16, 14-4 GNAC) was led by Mary Dettling with a combined five hits, while Alyssa Slate added four hits for the Saints. Taviah Jenkins led SMU with four runs batted in on a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning in Game #2, while Dettling, Lindsay Miller, Sam Munger, and Dani Wall each drove in a combined three RBI for Saint Martin's.

In the circle for SMU, Munger got the start in Game #1 as she went the distance allowing seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits to go along with a game-high three strikeouts en route to earning her 18th win of the season. Game #2 would see Kim Nelson go the opening 6.2 innings for the Saints, as she allowed eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits before Munger got the game's final out to help preserve the win.

GAME #1 – SAINT MARTIN'S 9, WESTERN OREGON 7

Friday's opener would be a pitcher's dual over the opening three innings between Williams and Munger, as Western Oregon broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Evola drove in Kuehl on a groundout after Kuehl reached base after being hit by a pitch to lead off the Wolves' at-bat.

One inning later, Western Oregon would put four runs on the board via three hits that included a lead off solo home run by sophomore Lexi Jennings before fellow sophomore Ashley Radziuk registered a solo home run one batter later that extended the Wolves' lead to 3-0. Two batters later, sophomore Ashley Lynch would reach on a dropped fly ball by SMU that allowed both Gardner and Kuehl to score pushing WOU's lead to 5-0.

In the top of the sixth inning, Saint Martin's would finally catch fire as the Saints scored nine runs on nine hits with the eventual game-winning hit coming off the bat of Lindsay Miller on a RBI single to left field that put SMU in front 8-5 before Munger added the team's final run on a run-scoring double to left field that scored Miller and extended SMU's lead to 9-5.

Western Oregon would attempt a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Wolves got a RBI single from Williams before she scored one batter later on a SMU throwing error that pulled the Wolves within two runs (9-7) with two outs. Unfortunately that would be as close as WOU would get, as Saint Martin's ended the game on Munger's third and final strikeout.

Gardner and Alfonso led Western Oregon with a pair of hits each, while Evola, Williams, Jennings, and Radziuk registered a RBI each for the Wolves.

Saint Martin's was led offensively by Munger and Jackie Schmaeling with two hits each, while Dettling and Munger tallied a pair of RBI each for the Saints.

GAME #2 — SAINT MARTIN'S 12, WESTERN OREGON 8

In Friday's finale, Saint Martin's jumped out to a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before Williams belted a two-run home run over the right field fence that also scored Gardner after she reached on an error to open the Wolves' at-bat.

After getting within five runs (7-2), Western Oregon watched as Saint Martin's scored five runs on five hits in the top of the seventh inning with the dagger being a grand slam by Jenkins that extended the Saints' lead to 11-2. Pinch-hitter Hannah Wesselman would put SMU's 12th and final run on the board via a RBI single underneath the glove of WOU's diving first baseman that brought home pinch-runner Taylor Wolf and pushed Saint Martin's lead to 10 runs (12-2) heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Trailing by 10 runs, Western Oregon nearly came back from a double-digit deficit in its final at-bat as the Wolves put six runs on the board on six hits that included a solo home run by freshman Zoe Clark to lead off the inning before Lynch, Alfonso, and Kuehl each tallied RBI singles that pulled WOU within six runs (12-6). Gardner, who was the ninth batter for Western Oregon in the inning, would clear the bases with a two-run triple down the right field line that scored both Alfonso and Kuehl and pulled the Wolves within four runs (12-8) with two outs. After a pitching change by Saint Martin's that brought Munger back into the circle, a game-ending groundout to third base would halt WOU's comeback and gave SMU the sweep that also resulted in a series win (3-1) for the Saints.

Four Wolves – Gardner, Evola, Lynch, and Kuehl – each registered two hits in the finale, while Gardner and Williams drove in a team-high two RBI each for the WOU.

Saint Martin's would get a 4-for-5 performance from Dettling, while Slate was a perfect 3-for-3 in Game #2.

Western Oregon will close out the home portion of its schedule with double header against Central Washington University on Sunday, April 19, beginning at noon on the WOU Softball Field in Monmouth.

NOTE: Prior to the Wolves-Wildcats' twin bill, Western Oregon will honor a pair of senior in a pregame ceremony where the Wolves will thanks the duo for all that they have done for the program over the past four years. The ceremony will begin at approximately 11:50 AM, while an autograph session will take place at the conclusion of the double header for all fans in attendance.