LACEY, Wash. – The Western Oregon softball team rebounded from a tough, extra-inning loss Saturday to Western Washington in the winner's bracket of the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Championships by defeating regular-season champion Central Washington for the fourth consecutive time to secure a place in the title games on Sunday against the Vikings at the SMU Softball Field.
 
GAME ONE – Western Washington 2, Western Oregon 1 (8 innings)
 
Kali Patterson hit a walk-off double in the eighth inning to back up a record 13-strikeout performance by Anna Kasner as No. 2 seed Western Washington advanced to the GNAC Softball Championships game with a 2-1, eight inning win over No. 4 seed Western Oregon.
 
After watching a pair of game-winning opportunities go unrealized in the seventh, Kasner started eighth off with a one-out single to right field. She moved to second on a walk before Patterson delivered the double on a one ball, one strike pitch to left-center field for the victory.
 
Kasner deliver an outstanding performance in the pitcher's duel, allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks. Her 13 strikeouts blew away the previous GNAC Championships record of seven set by Maria Gau of Central Washington in 2014.
 
Kasner struck out six batters over the first three innings and didn't allow her first base hit until Ryanne Huffman connected for a leadoff single in the fourth inning.
 
The Vikings left runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings before breaking through in the third. Sarah Morrow crushed a leadoff double down the right field line and scored on Makinlee Sellevold's single to right field. From that point, though, WOU starting pitcher Haley Fabian settled into a groove as she retired nine straight batters in fourth, fifth and sixth.
 
After Kasner struck out the side in the fifth, Western Oregon manufactured the tying run in the top of the sixth. Kelsie Gardner led off with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before Mercedes Green hit an infield single off of Kasner's outstretched glove to bring her home.
 
Western Washington saw a pair of great chances to win the game in the bottom of the seventh fizzle away. Pinch-hitter McKenzie Palmer doubled to left field to lead off the inning, but was thrown out trying to extend it into a triple. McKenna Mathis followed with a single and a fielder's choice and an error loaded the bases. Sellevold then hit a sharp line drive to the second baseman Ashlee Lynch, who doubled up Mathis at third to force extra innings.
 
Sammi Cadwallader took the loss in relief for the Wolves, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in 1.1 innings. Fabian, the starter, allowed one run on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
 
GAME TWO – Western Oregon 8, Central Washington 6
 
Two big home runs for Chandler Bishop and Destiny Kuehl proved to be the difference for No. 4 seed Western Oregon Saturday as the Wolves ousted No. 1 seed Central Washington from the GNAC Softball Championships, 8-6.
 
The two homers, a solo shot for Bishop and a three-run shot for Kuehl, accounted for a four-run fourth inning that provided the winning runs for the Wolves. Central Washington put together a spirited five-run rally in the top of the sixth to come within one, but the rally fell short.
 
Kelsie Gardner led Western Oregon offensively by going 3 for with three runs and two RBIs while Kuehl went 2 for 4 with four RBIs.
 
With the win, the Wolves (29-23) earn the right to face No. 2 seed Western Washington in the championship game at noon on Sunday. The winner of the championship games will earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Central Washington, the 2017 regular season champion and defending tournament champion, dropped to 34-15. They will have to wait until Monday's selection show to see if they will earn an at-large selection.
 
Just like they did in their previous game, the Wildcats wasted no time putting a run on the board. Celine Fowler led off the game with a single, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and third on a wild pitch before scoring on Taylor Ferleman's infield single. Central Washington seemed to stall out from that point with the Wildcats leaving six runners in scoring position over the first five innings.
 
Western Oregon, meanwhile, got on the board with a three-run, two-out second inning rally. Bishop reached when she was hit by a pitch. Emma Alfonso walked and Kelsie Gardner followed with a double to left field to score both. Ryanne Huffman then hit a triple down the right field line, scoring Gardner for the 3-1 WOU lead.
 
The Wolves broke the game open with a pair of home runs in the fourth. Bishop crushed her third home run of the season, a solo shot just over the left field foul pole. A single by Gardner and a walk for Huffman set the table for Destiny Kuehl, who smashed the ball over the left center field wall for her 10th homer of the season.
 
Central Washington finally put its offense together in the top of the fifth. Kailyn Campbell reached on a one-out single, Jacie McDaniels reached on an error and Julia Reuble loaded the bases by drawing a walk. Ferleman stepped up again, hitting a double to center field to score Campbell and McDaniels. Sammy Morris scored Ferleman on a single through the left side and Morris came home on Savannah Egbert's double to right center field. Wolves' reliever Haley Fabian quelled the rally with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
 
Ferleman led Central Washington offensively, going 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Fowler, Campbell and Morris each had two hits.
 
Sammi Cadwallader earned the pitching win for Western Oregon as she improved to 10-4 on the season. She allowed one run on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Fabian earned the save as she allowed two hits and struck out in the final 1.2 innings. Kiana Wood took the loss for Central Washington, dropping to 18-4 with her third consecutive loss against the Wolves. She allowed three runs on two hits with two walks in the first 1.2 innings of the game.
   
(Most of the recap from the GNAC release)