Behind stellar pitching performances and enough offensive support, the softball team swept , 8-0 and 2-0, Sunday afternoon in GNAC action at Logan Field.
Erin Martin () earned her 20th victory of the season in the first game, giving up four hits and two walks but pitching out of trouble when she needed to. Kasey Druffel was hit by a pitch and earned two hits, but no other Wildcat batter reached safely more than one time in the game.
’s offense woke up in the third inning, loading the bases on a walk and two singles before Jane Purdy (, ) laced a single to center field that scored Katie Gould (, ) and Katie Antich (). Lauren Berin (Lacey, ) followed with a single that scored Megan MacIsaac ().
In the fifth inning, Berin earned another RBI with a single that scored Antich. Sandra Hernandez (, ), Brenda Stice (, ), and Jamie Foote () all followed with RBI singles to extend SeattleU’s lead to 7-0. After Gould walked to load the bases with two outs, Antich hit a shot into center field, scoring Stice and ending the game due to the eight-run rule.
In game two, Kelsey Reynolds () picked up her 11th victory of the season, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out five batters. (17-25, 12-10 GNAC) loaded the bases in the fifth inning, but Reynolds struck out Holly Rossman for the third time to end the Wildcats’ best threat of the day.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Antich led off with a double and scored on a single by MacIsaac to put SeattleU on the board. The Redhawks added an insurance run in the sixth inning as Gould singled to drive in Foote, and Reynolds set the Wildcats down in the seventh on three grounders to complete the sweep.
With the victories, moved back to within a game of first place in the conference standings, even though both teams are tied in the loss column with five conference defeats. Antich finished the day 4-for-8 with three runs, a double, and two stolen bases, while MacIsaac and Foote each went 3-for-6 during the day.
(31-11, 13-5 GNAC) begins a five-game road swing with a doubleheader Tuesday, April 29, in against beginning at 3 p.m. After a pivotal three-game series at Western Oregon next Thursday and Friday, the Redhawks finish the regular season at home against ’s in a GNAC doubleheader Saturday, May 3, beginning at 12 noon at Logan Field.