LACEY, Wash. – The Western Oregon softball team (24-21, 11-13 GNAC) battled but lost twice on Thursday at the hands of Saint Martin's at the SMU Softball Field. The Saints held WOU to four runs over two games in a 4-2 game one loss and a tough 3-2 defeat in game two.
 
The Wolves will have a chance at reprisal against Saint Martin's when they return to action on Saturday, April 29 in a pair of games to be played at the Oregon State Softball Complex at 12 p.m.
 
GAME ONE: Saint Martin's 4, Western Oregon 2
Saint Martin's – the team with the GNAC's second-best team batting average entering Thursday – did most of its damage with the long ball, plating three of their four runs with home runs. A lead-off home run from Alyssa French in the bottom of the third inning broke a scoreless tie.
 
WOU responded with a single tally in the visiting half of the fourth inning. With two outs, Ashlee Lynch doubled to left field. The extra batter in the inning paid off, as Jenna Kelly took the second pitch she saw to the opposite field, singling to right and scoring Lynch.
 
The Saints retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Alyssa Slate homered over the wall in left field with a runner aboard. SMU tacked on their fourth run with a RBI groundout by French in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Wolves sparked an early seventh-inning rally with three singles – Zoe Clark to third base, Ku'ulei Siolo out to left field and Ryanne Huffman beat out an infield hit to third -  to load the bases with nobody out. After a comebacker to the circle notched the first out, Cheyanne Rimer closed the gap to two, 4-2, with a run-scoring groundout to second base. The Saints decided to reload the bags after intentionally walking Destiny Kuehl, but ended the game with a fly ball to center that stranded the tying run at second.
 
Reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Week Haley Fabian struck out six but suffered the loss allowing four runs on nine hits, falling to 11-8 on the season. SMU's Kim Nelson gave up 10 hits but moved to 12-7 after only allowing two runs in the circle.
 
Kuehl, Clark and Huffman each had two hits for Western Oregon.
 
GAME TWO: Saint Martin's 3, Western Oregon 2
Each team tallied a run in the opening inning of Thursday's twinbill. The Wolves got a one-out triple into the right-center gap from Huffman, while Kuehl brought her home with a sacrifice fly ball for the early 1-0 lead. The Saints answered with three straight singles, scoring a run on a one-out RBI swing from Jackie Schmaeling. SMU couldn't capitalize with another runner at third base after Schmaeling was called out leaving first base early and an inning-ending groundout.
 
Saint Martin's produced a go-ahead run in their half of the third inning when Lindsey Miller singled and stole second. The swipe put her in a position to score on a Mary Dettling single to left center for a 2-1 lead.
 
The Wolves seized on an opportunity to ties the game in the next half-inning. Kuehl doubled in the lead-off role and moved to third on a Lynch single to center. Kelly popped up a ball to shallow right field and when Paige Miller could not make a clean grab, Kuehl scored from third on the error.
 
SMU began the push for the eventual game winner in the fifth as Nicki DeHan and Slate singled to put two runners on. Mercedes Green made a great throw on the DeHan's attempt to steal third for an out, but it would be a costly wild pitch that scored Slate with SMU's third run.
 
Clark singled with one out in the seventh, but a Green double play ball to shortstop ended any chance of a comeback.
 
Chandler Bishop tossed six quality frames giving up three runs on eight hits without walking a batter but dropped to 3-5. Lauren Maley held the Wolves to five hits and walked one in the winning decision (7-2).