PORTLAND, Ore. – Three different Western Oregon University players had at least two hits in game one while Ashlee Lynch made two great defensive plays in the final innings as the Wolves defeated Concordia University of Portland, 4-2, in the opening game of Thursday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Delta Park. Concordia won the nightcap, 5-0.
 
The split of the doubleheader moved the Wolves to 29-22 for the regular season and 17-11 in the GNAC. With 11 losses, Western Oregon has secured no worse than a fourth place finish in the league earning a spot in the GNAC Tournament in Lacey, Wash. from April 28-30.
 
GAME ONE: WOU 4, Concordia 2
In the opener, the host Cavaliers got out to a 2-0 lead, but the Wolves were able to answer with four answered runs behind senior pitcher Alyson Boytz in a 4-2 victory.
 
Mercedes Green continued her offensive rush with a two-run triple down the right field in the top of the fourth inning, scoring Destiny Kuehl and Zoe Clark with the tying runs. Brandy Knowles followed the Green triple with a groundout to the right side to give WOU a 3-2 lead.
 
A throwing error after a foul fly ball to right field in the sixth inning pushed across an insurance tally for Western Oregon.
 
Boytz (W, 11-7) allowed seven hits over her seven innings of work while striking out two. She worked out of jams in the fifth and seventh innings after getting Concordia to line into inning-ending double plays to Lynch at first base. The latter ensured that Western Oregon would compete for another GNAC postseason title.
 
Clark, Kuehl and Kelsie Gardner each had two hits for WOU.
 
GAME TWO: Concordia 5, WOU 0
Thursday's second game was a different story for both teams, as Concordia's offense exploded for 10 hits while taking advantage of four WOU errors to avoid the series sweep with a 5-0 win over the Wolves.
 
Clark led WOU going 2-for-3 at the plate, but the Wolves could only muster six overall single for the game.
 
Sammi Cadwallader ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision after allowing five runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits with five strikeouts. Haley Fabian scattered three hits in two scoreless inning of relief.
 
NEXT
Western Oregon will now wait until the remaining games on the GNAC schedule are played this weekend to find out who the opponent will be on day one of the GNAC Softball Championships on April 28.