Local report: Russell scores 21 in CWU triumph

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Sophie Russell closed out a sterling Central Washington career in triumphant fashion Saturday night, scoring a game-high 18 points to lead the Wildcats to a 74-54 rout of Western Oregon in the Wildcats’ season-finale in Nicholson Pavilion.

Russell, a 5-foot-10 guard-forward from River Ridge High School in Lacey, finished as the fourth-highest scorer in school history at 1,144 points. She was the lone senior on a team that finished 5-13 in GNAC play and 9-17 overall in head coach Shawn Nelson’s first season.

Alex Dunn had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Wildcats while Jessica VanDyke added 12 points.

Stacy Albrecht also grabbed seven boards for CWU, which outrebounded the Wolves 45-29.

WESTERN OREGON — Melissa Fowler 2-7 6-7 10, Jade Haas 5-12 1-2 11, Rylee Peterson 7-19 2-2 17, Clifford 1-5 0-0 2, Miller 1-2 0-0 3, Jasinski 1-3 1-2 3, Goularte 2-3 2-4 6, Reade 0-0 0-0 0, Topalovic 1-9 0-0 2, Titus 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 20-60 12-18 54.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Jessica VanDyke 3-6 4-4 12, Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Albrecht 4-7 1-2 9, Alex Dunn 7-9 1-1 15, Sophie Russell 5-16 6-6 18, Rethwill 0-1 2-2 2, Jacobson 1-4 0-0 3, Burke 1-5 3-4 5, Valdez 1-2 0-0 2, Fettig 0-2 0-0 0, Moser 3-4 0-0 6, Martinez 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 17-19 74.

Halftime — CWU 32-24. 3-point goals — WOU 2-15 (Fowler 0-1, Peterson 1-4, Clifford 0-3, Miller 1-1, Jasinski 0-2, Topalovic 0-4); CWU 5-18 (VanDyke 2-5, Dunn 0-1, Russell 2-7, Rethwill 0-1, Jacobson 1-2, Burke 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — WOU 29 (Haas 6); CWU 45 (Albrecht 7, Dunn 7). Assists — WOU 4; CWU 13 (Dunn 6). Turnovers — WOU 15, CWU 17. Total fouls — WOU 18, CWU 19.

FASTPITCH

Central splits with W. Oregon ||

SELAH, Wash. — Carrina Wagner clubbed two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs to lead Central Washington to an 8-4 victory over Western Oregon in the first game of a GNAC doubleheader Saturday at Carlon Park.

The Wildcats dropped the second game 7-1 and moved to 4-2 in conference play and 5-6 overall.

Wagner hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the opener and then belted her first career grand slam in the fourth to give Central an 8-1 lead. She has four homers for the season.

The two teams play another doubleheader today starting at 11 a.m. at Carlon Park.

Game 1

Western Oregon 000 110 2 — 4 10 1
Central Washington 200 600 x — 8 7 0

Reeves; Sawyer (4) and Worthey. Gau and Ellis. WP: Gau (3-3). L: Reeves (0-2).

CWU highlights: Carrina Wagner 2-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI; Bre Thomas 2-3, 2b, RBI; Jen Schwartz 1-1, RBI.

Game 2

Western Oregon 012 031 0 — 7 10 1
Central Washington 000 000 1 — 1 5 2

Pomeroy and Worthey. Wells; Kocik (3); Smith (6) and Ellis. WP: Pomeroy (1-1). L: Wells (1-3).

CWU highlights: Natasha Wood 2-3, 2b.

BOWLING

Kent finishes 24th at U.S. Open

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A strong session Friday morning pushed Marshall Kent into the match-play round of the U.S. Open, but the Yakima bowler cooled off from there.

Kent moved from 44th place to 17th after Friday morning’s eight games that determined the top 24 bowlers for the match-play round.

Even though the freshman at Robert Morris University in Chicgao held his own in a tournament that attracts the top bowlers in the world, Kent wound up 24th after the three eight-game rounds Friday evening and Saturday.

In Friday morning’s games, Kent totaled 1,740 pins, a 217.5 average, giving him a 26-game total of 5,410, a 208.1 average. That moved him up 27 places to 17th, comfortably into the top 24 in what started out as a 394-bowler field.

In the 24 match-play games, Kent added 4,808 more pins, averaging 200.3, and had an 8-15-1 head-to-head record. He finished with 10,218 pins in 50 games, a 204.4 average.

Mike Fagan was the top qualifier for today’s stepladder finals to be televised on ESPN, followed by Jason Belmonte, Ryan Shafer and Pete Weber.