LAS VEGAS, Nev.—After yielding three runs in the first inning, the Western Oregon University softball team closed out the MSUB Desert Stinger with a 13-6 win over Notre Dame de Namur University on Sunday.
Sending eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, Western Oregon (3-2) quickly erased the early hole. After an RBI hit by Mariah Deleon, junior infielder Ryann Huffman delivered the key swing of the inning with a 2-run home run to center field for a WOU lead. The roundtripper was the first career homer for Huffman.
The Wolves added two runs in the bottom of the third only to see the Argonauts battle back to knot the game at 6-6 with a three-run fourth.
The game did not remain tied for long, however, as WOU essentially put the contest away with a five-spot in the bottom half of the frame. Nicole Miller, Cheyanne Rimer and Sydney Bowers tagged RBI hits in the inning with Bowers' double driving home a pair of runs.
Bowers and Zoe Clark returned with RBI in the sixth inning for the final score.
"For us not being outside much yet this spring, this weekend was a good test for us. We got to try some things as coaches and see what works and the players rose up and played well," WOU head coach
Lonny Sargent said.
WOU's Lizzet Dominguez tossed a complete game for her second win of the weekend. Dominguez struck out one and allowed six hits and four earned runs over the seven-inning performance.
WOU tallied 12 hits in the game with Tyler Creach, Huffman, Miller, Bowers and Deleon all recorded two-hit games. Bowers and Deleon finished with three RBI while Jenna Kelly scored on three occasions.
"There were a few bumps in the road, but I was really impressed with how this young team bounced back by shaking off the losses on Saturday. It was a good measuring stick for this group," Sargent said.
The Wolves will return to action next week by traveling to the West Texas A&M Lady Buff Invite for six games from Feb. 9-11. West Texas A&M earned a No. 13 ranking in the NCAA DII preseason poll on Jan 24.
