CORVALLIS, Ore. – A doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon for the Western Oregon softball team kept aspirations to make the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships alive winning game one against Saint Martin's, 9-5, behind six RBIs from Mercedes Green. The Saints came back with early offense and held off a late WOU comeback to take game two, 5-4.
 
Western Oregon moves to 25-22 on the year with a 12-14 mark in the GNAC.
 
GAME ONE – Western Oregon 9, Saint Martin's 5
 
Western Oregon got on the board in the second inning. After consecutive singles from Zoe Clark and Jenna Kelly, Green provided the big blast with a three-run home run to left field to put the Wolves on top, 3-0.
 
Saint Martin's responded with a three-run homer from their catcher as well when Jackie Schmaeling lifted a ball over the fence in left field after an error with two outs extended the top of the third inning.
 
With the game tied, Western Oregon got the bats going in the next three innings to score six runs. Destiny Kuehl lined a home run to straight-away center field for a 4-3 lead in the third inning. Kelly and Green singled back-to-back in the fourth inning and Kelsie Gardner doubled with two outs to plate Kelly.
 
The Wolves extended the lead in the fifth inning with a RBI single from Ashlee Lynch and a big three-run double from Green into right-center.
 
SMU plated two late runs, but three ground balls sealed the win for the Wolves.
 
Sammi Cadwallader allowed eight hits in her complete-game effort to improve to 8-3 on the year. Green's RBI tallied matched the season's best single-game effort by a WOU player (Kuehl at Montana State Billings, 3/19/17).
 
 GAME TWO – Saint Martin's 5, Western Oregon 4
 
The Saints struck first in game two as Sabrina Hicks tallied a RBI on a sacrifice foul out down the right-field line with the bases loaded in the first inning. Two innings later, Saint Martin's tacked on four more runs, highlighted by a three-run double by Alyssa French.
 
The Wolves rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull within a run. Green continued her torrid run-producing with a two-run double and Jenna Kelly later followed with a two-run single. The Wolves would load the bases with two outs before a strikeout ended the rally one run short of tying the game.
 
Lizzet Dominguez surrendered six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings in a starting role (L, 3-5). Haley Fabian was strong in relief for WOU throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
 
Western Oregon has two chances on Sunday to earn a win that will secure the No. 4 seed in the upcoming GNAC Championships. The opponent is Central Washington, the 2017 GNAC Regular Season Champions. First pitch is at 12 p.m. with Senior Day festivities beginning at 11:35 a.m. at the OSU Softball Complex.