MONMOUTH, Ore. – On Senior Day, Western Oregon University's softball team swept Central Washington University, 2-1 in eight innings & 4-3, Sunday at the WOU Softball Field as the Wolves remain in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoff picture holding a three game lead over the Wildcats with four games remaining in the regular season for both teams.

Western Oregon (20-25, 12-8 GNAC) were led by senior Amanda Evola with five hits in eight at-bats to go along with three runs scored and two runs batted in, while fellow senior Jourdan Williams got the day started by picking up her seventh win of the season with a complete game performance.

Along with Evola's bat and Williams' arm, freshman Zoe Clark and sophomore Kelsie Gardner added to the Wolves' offense with four and three hits, respectively, while Clark equaled Evola with two RBI. Junior Alyson Boytz toed the rubber in Game #2 for Western Oregon, as she allowed three earned runs on six hits to go along with a game-high tying five strikeouts in a complete game performance.

Central Washington (18-21, 9-11 GNAC) were led offensively by Sammy Morris with a combined three hits, while Laura Steiner and Katie Focher added two hits each for the Wildcats. Four different CWU players – Austin Wilkerson, Kailyn Campbell, Andrea Hamada, and Alexa Olague – each had a run batted in for the Wildcats, while Morris scored a team-high two runs in the twin bill.

Kiana Wood went the distance in Game #1, as she allowed a pair of unearned runs on six hits to go along with a game-high 11 strikeouts. In the finale, Lindsey Kamphuis also pitched a complete game as she allowed four earned runs on 12 hits and tied Boytz with five K's.

GAME #1 — WESTERN OREGON 2, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 1 (8 INNINGS)

Sunday's opener would see a pair of pitching gems by Williams and Wood, as the two combined to allow 11 hits in the extra inning affair.

Western Oregon would finally break through in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore Destiny Kuehl drew a one-out walk before advancing to second on a walk by Gardner. One batter later, Evola would reach base on a fielding error by Central Washington that allowed Kuehl to score all the way from second base and handed the Wolves a slim 1-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, Central Washington would tie the game at 1-1 when Morris led off with an infield single before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Celine Fowler. One batter later, Wilkerson would bring Morris home on a seeing-eye single to center field to even the game once again.

The final two innings of regulation would not muster much offense for either team, as Western Oregon ended the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when Evola led off with an infield single before she moved to second base on a single to center field by sophomore Lexi Jennings. With runners on first and second, Central Washington registered an out via a foul out but overthrew third base attempting to get Evola moving from second to third which also allowed the senior outfielder to come home with the game-winning run that resulted in the hard-fought 2-1 victory for the Wolves.

Jennings and Clark led Western Oregon with a pair of hits each, while Evola and Kuehl were the only other Wolves to record a hit in the opener.

Focher led Central Washington's offense with two hits, while Morris, Campbell, and Wilkerson also tallied hits for the Wildcats.

GAME #2 — WESTERN OREGON 4, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3

In Sunday's finale, Western Oregon would come-from-behind with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to erase a 3-1 deficit and earned the team's 17th 20-win season that included four seasons in a row with 20-or-more wins for WOU.

Each team would add a single run in the first inning, as Central Washington capitalized on a lead off walk by Morris followed by a stolen base and sacrifice bunt that placed the Wildcats' lead off hitter on third base. Campbell would bring Morris home on a ground out, as CWU took an early 1-0 lead.

Western Oregon answered in the bottom of the first inning when Gardner led off with a double to center field before she advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on Evola's single up the middle that tied the game at 1-1.

Two innings later, Central Washington scored a pair of runs on a bases loaded walk by Hamada followed by a bases loaded hit-by-pitch by Olague as the Wildcats earned a 3-1 lead.

Western Oregon would cut CWU's lead in half in the bottom of the third inning when Clark singled up the middle to bring home Evola and pulled the Wolves within a single run (3-2).

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Clark would tie the game at 3-3 on a RBI single through the left side with the bases loaded that scored Evola.

One inning later in the Wolves' final at-bat, Evola would bring home Kuehl on an infield single that put Western Oregon in front by a single run (4-3).

Central Washington would not mount much of a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, as Boytz struck out the first two Wildcats hitter before getting the third and final out to foul out into the glove of Williams to end the game and help Western Oregon earn the sweep.

Evola led Western Oregon with a perfect 4-for-4 performance in the final home game of her illustrious career that also included two runs scored and a pair of RBI, while Gardner went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Clark added a pair of hits.

Central Washington would get a pair of hits each from Morris and Steiner, while Campbell, Hamada, and Olague recorded RBIs for the Wildcats.

Western Oregon will close out the regular season with a four-game series at playoff-bound Montana State University Billings beginning on Friday, April 24, at 1 PM (MST) in Billings, Montana. Meanwhile, Central Washington will close out its regular season with double headers against Western Washington and Simon Fraser next weekend in Ellenburg, Washington.

The Wolves need to win at least one game against the Yellowjackets in order for Western Oregon to clinch the fourth and final spot in next month's GNAC Tournament, as WOU has a better record against conference-leading Saint Martin's than Central Washington. Should there be a three-way tie for the final playoff spot between Western Washington, Western Oregon, and Central Washington, then the Wolves would still advance to the postseason thanks to its lone win against Saint Martin's earlier this season on the road.