MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon and Concordia softball teams split a rain-soaked doubleheader Sunday afternoon at WOU Softball Field to keep even in the GNAC standings. The Wolves took the opener 7-5 before a 10-7 Cavs win in game two.
Game one saw a big push from the Western Oregon (24-13, 12-8 GNAC) offense in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring three and four runs, respectively, in the frames.
Kennedy Coy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the first run of the fourth inning for WOU before
Tyler Creach singled to center to plate another two. Coy went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Cheyanne Rimer pelted her team-leading seventh home run of the year in the fifth, a three-run blast, to extend a 3-2 Wolves advantage as a part of a four-run inning. Rimer finished game one 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Concordia (22-19, 12-8 GNAC) made a late push to try and stay competitive, scoring four runs over the final three innings, but it would not be enough.
Freshman
Maddie Mayer (9-2) threw her eighth complete game of the season in the opening game, tossing seven innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits, three walks and one strikeout.
The win for WOU was the 400th for head coach
Lonny Sargent in his head coaching career which has also included stops at Mt. Hood Community College and Utah State. He is also closing in on his 200th win at the helm of the Wolves, currently at 194.
Game two would be delayed due to rain in the top of the first inning. After just three batters, a deluge forced the teams into their dugouts for a 32 minute break in the action.
The rain proved an issue for both pitching staffs as there were a combined 11 walks issued in the second game.
Cavs' starting pitcher McKenzie Smith was chased from the game in the bottom of the first when she issued two walks and allowed two runs to score in just two outs. Three wild pitches were thrown in the bottom of the first to give Western Oregon a brief lead at 2-1 heading to the second frame.
CU managed to score runs in each of the first three innings, dropping a hefty five runs in the second to establish a lead they would not surrender.
Smith added a 2-for-4 line at the plate with two RBI to go along with her start in the circle. She was one of three Cavaliers to record multiple hits in game two.
Haley Fabian came on in relief for the first time this season in 15 appearances, allowing one run over four effective innings out of the Western bullpen.
Trailing by five going to the sixth,
Tyler Creach doubled in two to pull the Wolves within three heading to the final frame. The center fielder was 2-for-4 in game two with a run and two RBI.
The Wolves were unable to fully close the gap, going scoreless in the seventh to fall 10-7 in game two.
With the series split, WOU and CU remain in a tie for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.
Next up for Western Oregon is a doubleheader Friday against Western Washington University. First pitch in game one from Bellingham is set for 1 p.m. PDT.
