The Saint Martin’s softball team earned yet another series victory, winning three games in a four-game set against Central Washington April 11 and April 12.
The Saints won game one 5-4 on a walkoff and followed it with a 9-4 win for a Saturday double-header sweep. On Sunday, the Saints fell 6-2 in the opener before rolling to a 15-7 victory in the closer.
Saint Martin’s pulled ahead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning of game one Saturday, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by Taylor Orgeles. Central Washington bounced back and took the lead in the top of the third, rallying for four runs. Saint Martin’s responded with a game-tying run in the bottom of the third as Layla Royle hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Eva Spencer.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kaylee Walker started the inning with a single before an infield error allowed Amanda Peterson to reach first and Walker to move to second. Two at bats later, Walker stole third and managed to score off a throwing error by the catcher, giving the Saints a walkoff victory.
Both teams exchanged runs to open game two, with the Saints ahead 3-2 after three innings before they pulled away with three runs in the fourth and another three runs in the fifth. Walker collected four RBIs in the 9-4 win.
In the opener of the double-header Sunday, the Wildcats got the scoring started in the top of the first, scoring three runs. Saint Martin’s added a run in the bottom of the first as Walker walked with the bases loaded. After CWU scored a run in the top of the fourth, Heather Ebner’s RBI single in the sixth cut the deficit to 4-2. But the Wildcats added two runs in the top of the seventh.
Although the Wildcats took an early 2-0 lead in game four, Saint Martin’s tallied five runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead. CWU responded with four runs in the fourth to retake a 6-5 advantage. The Saints torched Wildcats pitchers with three runs in the fourth off a home run from Ebner and a two-run single from Jennessy Lopez, and they scored three more in the fifth and four in the sixth. Lopez finished 2 of 4 with four RBIs, while Walker added to her great weekend at the plate with a 3-of-4 day with three runs and one RBI.
Across the four-game weekend, Walker finished 5 of 13 with six RBIs.
Saint Martin’s (25-13, 10-2 GNAC) will hit the road for its next two series, starting this weekend in Monmouth, Oregon, for four games against Western Oregon before heading north next weekend to face Western Washington.
