MONMOUTH, Ore. – Both games were defensive battles with the pitchers dominating play throughout the doubleheader on Sunday between the Western Oregon University softball team and Saint Martin's. Game one was scoreless into the fifth before a big home run by Logan Carlos helped power WOU to the 4-0 win. In the nightcap, the game remained 1-1 into the seventh when the Saints tallied a pair of runs for the 3-1 win as the teams split their four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series.
Chelsea Smith and Chloe Leverington went toe-to-toe in the opener. Smith worked out of an early jam and then settled in. Saint Martin's (16-10, 6-2 GNAC) threatened right away in the first. Getting a leadoff single and then a hit batter to put two on, Smith locked down getting a strikeout, pop out and groundout to retire the side.
WOU (17-16, 4-8 GNAC) looked to push across the first run in the fourth. With one out, Natalie Willoughby ripped a double to left-center. A fly out to right moved her to third, but Leverington got out of the inning with a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
Smith cruised through innings 2-4 and then ran into some trouble in the fifth. A leadoff walk and single had two on with no outs. Smith collected a strikeout and then a groundout moved both runners up. She finished the inning with a big strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
The Wolves broke through in the home half. With one out, Kate Ronning singled and moved to second on a groundout. Carlos delivered with her eighth home run of the season connecting on a 0-1 pitch and driving it deep over the right-center field fence for the 2-0 lead.
Smith took it from there working back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to seal the shutout win. WOU added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. With Willoughby on via a walk and two outs, Sophie Franklin smoked a triple to right to bring in Willoughby and on the play, the throw back in got away allowing Franklin to score for the 4-0 lead.
WOU held the 6-3 edge in hits and SMU committed the only error. Willoughby went 2-2 with a run scored and a walk. Carlos, Franklin, Ronning and Bella Valdes all added hits. Smith picked up her eighth (8-3) win of the season in the circle going all seven innings, allowing just three hits and two walks to go along with six strikeouts in 90 pitches.
A trio of players had a hit for Saint Martin's. In the circle, Leverington went all six innings to end up with the loss (5-1), allowing four runs (three earned).
Game two was another pitching duel between Maddie Mayer and Abby Runyon. Both teams tallied runs in the second inning.
After the Saints delivered a two-out RBI hit, WOU came right back in the home half. Kirah McGlothan singled and then stole second. Maddie Brandner grounded out to third to move McGlothan to third. Maddie Doig cashed in with the RBI single to third to tie the game at one.
WOU nearly took the lead in the third. With Zoie Recolan on via a throwing error and Willoughby on with a single, McGlothan came up. She hit a fly ball to shallow center that looked like was going to drop, but the centerfielder was able to make a great diving catch and turned it into a double play to end the inning.
After allowing the one run in the second, Mayer looked in from there tossing four straight 1-2-3 innings to keep the game tied.
With the game still tied entering the bottom of the sixth, the Wolves nearly pushed across the go-ahead run once again. Willoughby opened the frame with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McGlothan. She moved to third on a wild pitch. Franklin hit a grounder to short and with the infield in, the Saints recorded the out at first. Willoughby then attempted to score from third, but the throw from first was in time to turn the double play and keep the game tied at one.
With two outs and a runner on third in the top of the seventh, Saint Martin's put together a two-out rally getting a pair of RBI hits to take the 3-1 lead. In the home half of the inning, Valdes extended the game with a single to short, but Leverington, who entered in the seventh, closed the game out getting a groundout back to the circle to preserve the 3-1 win.
WOU held the 7-4 edge in hits and SMU committed the only two errors of the game. Willoughby led the way again with two more hits. Carlos, Ronning, McGlothan, Doig and Valdes all added hits. In the circle, Mayer went all seven innings for the tough complete game loss (5-6), allowing the three earned runs on just four hits and two walks. She added five strikeouts.
Kylee Vanderbout had a big game for the Saints tallying two hits and a pair of RBI. In the circle, Runyon went six innings to get the win (6-4), allowing the one earned run with three strikeouts. Leverington closed it out in the seventh for her first save of the season.
WOU will step out of GNAC play this coming week when they travel to Turlock, Calif., to compete in the Tournament of Champions where they will play five regional games Friday through Sunday.
