PORTLAND, Ore. – The Western Oregon softball team saw another set of home games relocated and rescheduled to Thursday as the Wolves traveled to open a four-game series with Concordia. The Wolves won the second game against the Cavaliers by a score of 6-4 at Porter Park. WOU fell to Concordia in the first game 3-1 after holding the lead for most of the game in earning the doubleheader split.
 
Western Oregon improves to 17-16 over and 4-8 I Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. CU is now 14-23 overall and 6-12 in the GNAC.
 
The two teams will conclude the series with the regularly scheduled game at Porter Park on Friday, April 14, with the first game starting at 2 p.m.
 
GAME ONE – Concordia 3, Western Oregon 1
Western Oregon got out of an early jam in the first inning, scored an early run in the bottom of the first playing as the home team and held that momentum until a late Concordia rally earned the Cavaliers a 3-1 victory.
 
After a leadoff single, an error and a stolen base put a pair of Concordia runners at second and third base in the top of the first, sophomore pitcher Haley Fabian went into lockdown mode. She struck out the next three batters in tough at-bats to halt the threat. The Wolves answered with a two-out RBI single from freshman Chandler Bishop, scoring sophomore Ryanne Huffman, for a 1-0 lead.
 
Fabian retired 12 of the next 13 batters, allowing only a walk in the span, to keep the Cavalier off the board. The Cavs struck for three in the top of the sixth inning with a RBI double immediately followed by a two-run homer from Courtney Somers.
 
WOU got the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh after singles from Ashley Doyle and Cheyanne Rimer, but could not get them across as the Cavaliers held on for the win.
 
Fabian saw her season record even to 7-7 after taking the loss in the circle. She allowed three runs on five hits with two walks while striking out seven. Mattie Boucher notched the win for Concordia scattering a run on eight hits.
 
Senior Kelsie Gardner had two hits for Western Oregon while seven different players had at least one hit.
 
GAME TWO – Western Oregon 6, Concordia 4
A three-run second inning proved to be the difference as the Wolves split Thursday's doubleheader. Four of the six runs for WOU were knocked in by senior Destiny Kuehl, who went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles and a run-scoring fielder's choice. Gardner again had a multi-hit game, this time with three hits, while senior Ashlee Lynch also tallied three hits.
 
The Cavaliers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as Madisen Oliver lined a single to left with the bases loaded.
 
The Wolves responded quickly in the next half inning after Gardner scored after a throwing error from third base to extend the frame.
 
Western Oregon's big offensive push came in the bottom of the second. Junior Zoe Clark led off with an infield single and advanced to third when the throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt from senior Ku'ulei Siolo went wild. A RBI single from senior Emma Alfonso to right field scored Clark for a 2-1 lead. With two more in scoring position, Kuehl delivered a hit through the left side of the infield to increase the WOU advantage to 4-1.
 
Concordia used a pair of walks issued by junior pitcher Lizzet Dominguez to produce a run off an Oliver sacrifice fly in the third.
 
Kuehl notched her third RBI of the game in the fourth inning with an opposite field single scoring Huffman after she stole second after walking.
 
After the Cavaliers pull within a run following a two-run double from Tenli Petty, Kuehl brought in the final WOU run getting Gardner in from third base with a ground ball.
 
Dominguez earned the win in the circle tossing five innings of four-run, six-hit ball to improve to 2-3 on the season. Senior Sammi Cadwallader kept a potential tying run at third base in the sixth inning and then retired the side in order in the seventh to tally her first save.