Game 2: Simon Fraser def. Western Oregon, 6-3

PORTLAND, Ore.—The GNAC Softball Championships final will feature two brand new teams as No. 3 Simon Fraser advanced to Saturday's championship game with a 6-3 win over No. 4 seed Western Oregon Friday at Porter Park.

The Clan broke open a 2-2 with a three-run fourth inning, two of which scored on Alex Ogg's two-out double. Simon Fraser finished with a tournament-high 11 hits in the game.

Chelsea Hotner led the SFU offense as she went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Ogg and Victoria Saunders each finished with two hits with Ogg hitting a pair of doubles. The offense backed up another complete-game performance by Alia Stachoski, who allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits and struck out three as she improved to 15-11 on the season.

With the victory, Simon Fraser (21-18) earns the right to face tournament No. 1 seed Northwest Nazarene in the championship final, which begins on Saturday at noon. Western Oregon sees its season end with a 28-25 record.

Jenna Kelly led Western Oregon offensively, going 2-for-3. Haley Fabian took the pitching loss for the Wolves, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits with one strikeout in four innings.

After a scoreless first inning, the two teams traded runs in the second and third. The Clan opened scoring in the top of the second when Chelsea Hotner reached on a two-out double and scored on a double-steal attempt that ended with Katherine Murnaghan being called out at second. Chandler Bishop took the run back for the Wolves in the home half, launching a home run over the left-field wall.

Taylor Gillis put Simon Fraser ahead 2-1 in the top of the third when she reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on an error and scoring on a single by Taylor Lundrigan. Ryanne Huffman reached on an error with one out for the Wolves in the bottom of the third, stole third and scored on Nicole Miller's sacrifice fly.

The Clan then broke the game open with a three-run two-out rally in the fourth. Muraghan started it when she reached on a fielder's choice. Saunders followed with a single and Gillis drove both runners home with her double to left-center field. Gillis then traded places with Ogg on her double down the left field line.

The Clan added a run in the sixth inning as Lundrigan led off with a single and eventually scored on Hotner's double down the right-field line. Tyler Creach took one run back in the bottom of the fifth as she crushed her first collegiate home run over the center field wall.

Game 1: Western Oregon def. Central Washington, 4-2

PORTLAND, Ore. – The last team to earn a berth in the GNAC Softball Championships will live to see at least one more game.

No. 4 seed Western Oregon used a four-run sixth inning, punctuated by a two-run homer by Zoe Clark, to score a 4-2 win over No. 2 seed Central Washington in the first elimination game of the tournament on Friday at Porter Park.

Nicole Miller opened the winning inning when she roped a one-out single down the left field line. Chandler Bishop followed with a single to left field and Jenna Kelly plated both runners with her double to right-center field. That set the table for Clark, who launched her 11th home run of the year over the left-center field wall to put the Wolves in control.

Clark and Tyler Creach each went 2-for-3 to lead the Wolves at the plate with Clark and Kelly finishing with two RBI apiece. Lizzet Dominguez earned the pitching win to improve to 13-5 on the season. She allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Bishop earned her first save, throwing 1 1/3 hitless innings.

With the win, Western Oregon survives to play No. 3 seed Simon Fraser in another elimination game this evening. The winner of that game will advance to play No. 1 seed Northwest Nazarene in the championship final on Saturday. Central Washington drops to 31-16 and will wait for Monday morning's selection show to see if it will earn an at-large spot in the NCAA Division II Championship.

Savannah Egbert led Central Washington at the plate as she went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Lexie Strasser took the pitching loss, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings of work. She dropped to 18-10 on the season.

The Wolves found little opportunity for scoring early in the game. Ryanne Huffman reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the first, but was stranded on third base. Western Oregon did not get its first hit until Creach reached on a two-out infield single in the third.

Central Washington, meanwhile, opened scoring in the bottom of the second. Taelor Griffin reached on a one-out walk, advanced on singles by Jacie McDaniels and Sydney Brown and scored on the third single of the frame by Celine Fowler. The Wildcats made it 2-0 in the fourth inning when Egbert singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Wildcats had a chance to pad their 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the sixth. Fowler reached on a one-out walk and advanced to third on Egbert's double to right, but Dominguez struck out pinch-hitter Julie Reuble and Bishop retired Katie Kastning to end the threat.