March 20, 2012
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, Western Washington University dropped a pair of games to Central Washington University, 4-3 and 10-2, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Tuesday at Frederick Field on the CWU campus.
The Vikings slipped to 3-17 overall and 1-9 in the GNAC and have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
CWU improved to 8-10 overall and 7-6 in conference play. Elena Carter drove in two runs in each end of the doubleheader for the Wildcats.
In the opener, Western entered the bottom of the sixth with a 3-1 lead, but the Wildcats rallied with three runs. A one- out fielding error allowed Bre Thomas to score from second, and Carter followed up with an RBI double to tie the game. Shelby Yasuda pinch ran for Carter, moved to third on an illegal pitch, then scored the go-ahead run on a ground out by Liz Jusko.
The Vikings nearly tied the game in the top of the seventh. Rachelle Berry (Jr., Alger/Burlington-Edison) walked, and pinch runner Tayler Blumenfeld (Fr., Lake Stevens) got all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt, but was stranded there by two ground outs to end the game.
All three Western runs in the opener came as the Vikings were able to get a runner to third without the aid of a base hit.
In the third, Kristen Allen (Jr., Arlington) walked with one out, was sacrificed to second, reached third on a wild pitch, then scored on single by Jessica Carey (Sr., Everett), Western's first hit of the game.
The Vikings manufactured another run in the fourth, as Cheyenne Best (Fr., Big Lake/Sedro-Woolley) had a leadoff walk, reached second on a sacrifice, moved to third on a foul out, then scored on a Krista Bickar (Sr., Hoquiam) single.
Central got a run back in bottom of fourth as Carter hit a solo homer down leftfield line with one out.
Western grabbed its 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth as Best reached second after an error, moved to third with no outs on a passed ball, then scored on a ground out by Meghan Carrillo (So., Prunedale, CA).
Jenna DeRosier (So., Kelso), who allowed just two hits through the first five innings, suffered the loss, falling to 1-7.
In the nightcap, the Vikings took an early lead again with two runs in the second. Western loaded the bases with no outs, and a Stephanie Fox (Sr., Sammamish/Eastlake) sacrifice fly scored Berry with the first run. The bases were then loaded again, and Janelle Kasch (Fr., Snohomish) scored from third on an error.
Central tied the game with two runs in the third, then took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a leadoff homer to left by Molly Coppinger. The Wildcats then ended the contest with a seven-run sixth inning in which the Vikings did not record an out. A Cassi Ellis home run started the onslaught, which featured eight hits and a hit by pitch.
WWU travels to Northwest Nazarene University for GNAC doubleheaders on Friday (2 p.m.) and Saturday (12 noon).
