ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Lauren Hadenfeld tossed her second career no-hitter pitching Central Washington to a 9-0 shutout of Northwest Nazarene in the opening game of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball twinbill Friday at Frederick Field.
The Wildcats then won the nightcap 11-10 on a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh by Keilani Cruz.
Hadenfeld (13-6), who was also the winning pitcher in the second game, walked three and fanned six in the five-inning opener as the Wildcats registered their fifth no-hitter in school history.
It was the first no-hitter this spring in the GNAC. Hadenfeld also had the GNAC's only no-hitter last year when she held Montana State Billings hitless in a 8-0 win on Mar. 20.
Central scored all nine of its runs - six in the third and three in the fourth - with two out. Second baseman Molly Coppinger had a RBI triple in the former inning and a three-run home run in the latter.
First baseman Liz Jusko and DH Carrina Wagner each had two RBI. Wagner's came on a two-run home run right after Jusko had a two-run single in the third.
CWU had 11 hits including two each by Coppinger, Wagner, Jusko, Samantha Petrich and Bre Thomas.
In the nighcap, Northwest Nazarene hit six home runs to take a 10-8 lead after trailing 8-1 after two innings. DH Elizabeth Beaty, who drove in five runs and first baseman Catherine Lowery each hit two out of the park. Beaty, now with 11 home runs this season, became the single-season home run record holder last weekend and continues to build on her lead.
Lowery and Kristin Refsland hit back-to-back homers in the top of the seventh off of Hadenfeld to give NNU a 10-8 lead. Those were the only two hits the CWU hurler allowed on the day in 8 1/3 innings.
But, in the bottom of the seventh, Petrich singled and Kelsey Haupert walked and Cruz then ended the game with her blast.
Petrich (4 RBI), Haupert (3 RBI) and Cruz combined to drive in 10 of CWU's 11 runs. On the day, Petrich had five hits in six at bats to raise her league-leading average to .471.
