Simson Garcia | Sports Editor
As the Wolves resumed a postponed game with Central Washington from March 18 — a home game halted in the second inning due to weather inclements — the Western players continued where they left off: at 4-0 en route to a 6-3 win on March 30.
Despite the home field change and advantage shift in CWU’s favor, the Wolves did not budge to the Wildcats’s two runs to start the game. A low liner from junior outfielder Cheyanne Rimer found its way into left field; a run-batted-in single to cap things in the seventh.
Keeping it going in games two and three with the ‘Cats, the Wolves clawed their way to wins in each game later that day. Both teams fought until extras in game one, but it was the Wolves who would score five runs in the top of the 10th to seal, 11-6. Earlier in the game, a double, then homer, helped add to run number six for Western, but the ‘Cats made sure they didn’t go down without much effort. Central Washington loaded up the bases to force extras. But Western again flipped the script, and got each player on base to score in the final extra inning.
The series’s final game earned the Wolves a 4-3 win and sweep. After Central got on the board to begin the first, four runs were in favor of Western in the third, just enough to hold off the ‘Cats.
Pitching senior Lizzet Dominguez remained steady at the plate after her performance in game two and earned herself back-to-back wins. Dominguez now carries a 10-3 win-loss record on the year.
Command at the mound turned to junior pitcher Haley Fabian in their fourth game of the weekend versus Saint Martin’s on March 31, for another win, 6-0. While both offenses were similar in skill at batting, pitching and fielding differed as Fabian played a complete game. Striking out five Saints while only facing 22 batters, as compared to 29 for the Saints, Fabian’s lockdown of home plate helped allow for Western’s consistent flow of offense that inevitably scored resulting in the shutout.
The arsenal of home runs, deep doubles and triples slugged by the Wolves in game four was an afterthought as SMU avenged their loss with a 9-1 conquering of the Wolves later that day. The Saints produced four runs in the sixth for a commanding lead as Western asked for a mercy rule soon after, ending the four game win streak.
Not done on the road, the Wolves travel east to Idaho for a four game series with the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks from April 6-7. First pitch for game one starts at 2 p.m.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
Photo by: wouwolves.com
