By Jonathan Gordon, CWU Athletics
ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Apr. 19) -- The Central Washington University softball team managed just
two hits, including just one over the final 4 1/3 innings, in falling to visiting Saint Martin's University, 13-0 in five innings on Thursday afternoon at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.
The game was the resumption of a protested game that began on March 4. CWU won the original game by a 7-3 score, but an upheld first-inning protest by SMU wiped out all seven Wildcat runs and meant that the game would be resumed with a 3-0 Saints lead.
While Central Washington's offense sputtered on Thursday, Saint Martin's thrived at the plate against three Wildcat pitchers. The Saints scored at least one run in all five innings at the plate, tacking on four runs in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the fifth. The final four runs of the game -- all against freshman reliever Heidy Wells (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium HS) -- were unearned as the Wildcats committed four errors on the game.
The lone CWU hits in the game were a first-inning ground-rule double by senior Carrina Wagner (Tacoma, Wash./Spanaway Lake HS) and a second-inning single by senior Molly Coppinger (Belfair, Wash./North Mason HS).
Central Washington fell to 14-26 overall and 10-18 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, and the two-time defending conference champions must win their final eight games to reach the .500 mark in GNAC play. Saint Martin's, ranked 10th in this week's NCAA Division II West Regional poll, improved to 28-15-1 overall and 18-10 in GNAC action.
Although it actually has two home doubleheaders remaining on the 2012 schedule, CWU will hold its Senior Day festivities this Saturday (Apr. 21) when the Wildcats host GNAC leader Montana State University Billings beginning at noon.
