TURLOCK, Calif. – Sophomore Alex Frazier homered in each game, including a walk-off grand slam in game one, and senior Alyson Boytz struck out seven in an extra-inning outing as the Western Oregon University softball teams won their opening two games at the 2016 Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock, on Friday afternoon. The Wolves defeated San Francisco University, 6-2, in eight innings and then outslugged Dominican University of California, 9-5.
 
WOU, who improved to 15-14 on the season, increased their season-long winning streak to four games.
 
Frazier hit her game-winning blast with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning after a game-tying single from Ashlee Lynch tied the game at 2-2. Ahead in the count 2-0, Frazier cleared the bags with a shot to center field, her third home run of the season.
 
The walk-off ensured a win after a gritty performance in the circle from Boytz. Her 126-pitch performance outlasted SFSU's Lindsey Cassidy to improve to 7-4 on the year. Over eight innings, Boytz allowed 10 hits while striking out seven.
 
San Francisco State took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the third inning and took the cushion into the home Wolves' half of the seventh. With two outs, junior Destiny Kuehl homered to left field, extending the game into the eighth inning while international tiebreaker rules.
 
SFSU used a throwing error and small ball to plate the go-ahead runner, but the Gators were unable to push any more across with the bases loaded after Boytz induced a pop out to second and a rally-ending fly ball to Emma Alfonzo in right field.
 
Western Oregon went to work for the equalizing and winning runs. Brandy Knowles was placed on second base and Zoe Clark battled to earn walk. Lynch then supplied the tying hit with a single to center field scoring Knowles and moving Clark to third after the center fielder misplayed the ball. Ku'ulei Siolo drew a walk to load the bases for Frazier's final shot.
 
WOU finished the game even with the Gators in the hit column, as each team had 10. Kuehl and Clark each had two hits with Clark earning a pair of walks.
 
Friday's second game against the Penguins of Dominican was a back-and-forth affair. The Wolves scored four runs over the first three innings while pitcher Haley Fabian worked through a bases-loaded jam in the first while leaving runners in scoring position in the second and third innings. Kuehl sparked a two-out rally in the first after being hit by a pitch with two outs. Clark continued the rally with a single and the lone run was manufactured after a throwing error from shortstop extended the inning. Another Dominican miscue preceded a ground-rule double by Lexi Jennings. An infield single from Ryanne Huffman plated the first run and a run-scoring groundout later in the frame pushed the Wolves lead to 3-0. Frazier's second homer of the day, this time a solo shot to right field made it 4-0.
 
The Dominican offense came alive in the fifth and sixth innings, coupled with a pair of WOU errors, to score six runs on seven hits. The Penguins took the lead, 6-4, with a three-run double in the top half of the sixth inning.
 
Western Oregon, as they have with frequency over the past three weeks, rallied in the following half inning to reclaim a lead they would not surrender. Frazier sparked the rally with a leadoff single and Elaine Sperry reached after the Penguins could not make a play on her sacrifice bunt. Huffman and Alfonso each had RBI singles to tie the game up at 6-6. The bags loaded when Kuehl was plunked with an inside pitch and another errant pitch hit Clark allowing the go-ahead run to score from third. After a pitching change, Mercedes Green singled home two with a single to give the Wolves enough breathing room.
 
Sammi Cadwallader, after coming in to relieve Fabian in the fifth, induced two groundouts, including a game-ending double play to earn her third win of the year.
 
Dominican outhit the Wolves 11 to 10 in the game despite Huffman's three hits and two each from Alfonso and Frazier.
 
Western Oregon returns to action on day two of the Tournament of Champions on Saturday (April 2), beginning with an 11:30 a.m. first pitch against perennial power Humboldt State University on Field 3 at Pedretti Park. The Wolves will also play Azusa Pacific University at 4:30 p.m. on Field 5 at Pedretti.