AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific and Central Washington each erased three-run deficits in Sunday's NCAA Division II Softball West 2 Regional championship game, but the No. 21-ranked Wildcats broke a 6-6 tie in the sixth to pull away late for a 9-6 win over the No. 14 Cougars.
Central Washington (42-15) advances to a best-of-three regional championship series at Humboldt State later this week, while Azusa Pacific finishes the season 40-12 overall after hosting the regional in its first-ever Division II postseason appearance.
Central Washington 9, Azusa Pacific 6: Box Score | Press Conference
Junior second baseman Nicki Sprague hit a towering solo home run in the top of the third inning as Azusa Pacific seized an early three-run lead, but Central Washington rallied with six consecutive runs in the next two frames to take a 6-3 lead through four innings.
That score held until the Cougars tied the game in a wild sixth inning. Jessica Melcher andAbry Moreno produced consecutive one-out singles, and back-to-back walks scored the first run of the inning to cut the lead to 6-4 with Sprague and senior catcher Madison Hernandezdue up. Sprague's fly out to shallow left wasn't able to bring a run home, but Moreno scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 6-5.
Sophomore leftfielder Illiana Jimenez rounded third on the wild pitch, seeing the throw from the backstop roll free between home plate and the pitcher's circle. However, Central Washington quickly picked it up and caught Jimenez too far off third base. When the throw went back to third, Jimenez turned and raced for home, beating the throw and sliding under the tag for the game-tying run.
Central Washington responded again, taking advantage of a one-out infield hit and an error in the outfield to get two runners on base for senior catcher Austin Wilkerson, who delivered the game-winning RBI with a single to left. Brielle Copodonna added a two-run single down the right-field line to extend the lead to 9-6, and Wildcat reliever Kayla Smith retired Azusa Pacific in order in the seventh inning to finish off the win.
Sprague, Moreno, and senior rightfielder Janelle Eccles each collected two hits, and four Central Washington players also finished with two hits on the afternoon.
