ELLENSBURG, Wash. – In a matchup against the team on top the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, host Central Washington go the best of the Western Oregon softball team on Saturday afternoon with a pair of one-run wins at Frederick Field, sweeping the Wolves with scores of 4-3 in game one and 7-6 in game two. WOU slips to 10-11 on the year with the pair of setbacks and in 1-5 in GNAC play.
 
GAME ONE – Central Wash. 4, Western Oregon 3
Central Washington had the early advantage building a 4-0 lead posting two runs in the second inning and two more in the fifth.
 
The tables looked to turn and things began looking good for the Wolves as they scored three times in the sixth inning. Kelsie Gardner scored from first on a multiple-base throwing error after a Ryanne Huffman bunt single. A subsequent fielding error put runners on the corners for a RBI single by Chandler Bishop. Zoe Clark brought WOU within a run with a single up the middle, scoring Kuehl, and putting two runners aboard. The rally was cut short by a line drive double play that ended the inning.
 
Needing a run in the seventh, Gardner singled with two outs, but was forced out at second on a groundball to end the game.
 
Haley Fabian (4-6) went the distance in a good pitching battle against CWU's Kiana Wood, but was tagged with the loss. Fabian allowed four runs on four hits while striking out three.
 
GAME TWO – Central Wash. 7, Western Oregon 6
The Wolves got out to an early lead scoring two runs in the top of the second on solo home runs from Bishop and Clark. A third solo home run, a lead-off home run from Cheyanne Rimer in the third inning, coupled with a run via an error in the fourth inning bumped the lead to 4-1.
 
It would be for not though as the Wildcats mounted an impressive rally with six runs on three hits and two WOU errors in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead.
 
Clark added a two-run single in the fifth inning with one out to slice the lead down to one and had a rally in the seventh in an attempt to tie. After a Destiny Kuehl lead-off single, the Wolves could not get a runner to second with a grounder and a game-ending double play to end the game.
 
Lizzet Dominguez (0-1) picked up the loss in a starting role allowing seven runs, only two of them earned, on eight hits. Sammi Cadwallader allowed one hit and struck out one over 2 1/3 relief innings.
 
NOTES
- Despite not picking up a win on Saturday, the Western Oregon offense had a solid day. The team outhit CWU 19-13 for the day.
 
- Central Washington has now won five straight in the all-time series with the doubleheader sweep.
 
NEXT UP
The Wolves will look to get back in the win column on Sunday with a doubleheader at Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. PDT.