ARCATA — A ball lost in the glaring sun, a few bloopers into the outfield, a couple of defensive errors and some timely hitting by the Western Oregon Wolves resulted in the Warriors' first defeat this postseason.

Katie Fleer scattered six hits and also contributed with her bat, helping Western Oregon to a 4-0 upset win over #18 Cal State Stanislaus at the NCAA Division II West Region Softball Championships on Thursday.

Western Oregon (32-16) continued its progress through the regional bracket, moving on to face the winner of the Cal State San Bernardino vs. CSU Dominguez Hills game at 2 p.m.  Friday. Cal State Stanislaus (31-22) faces host Humboldt State in an elimination game at 9 a.m.

WOU got the first run that resulted in an infield pop-up lost in the sun. Right after Jessica Scholl threw out Shanley Young trying to steal second for the second out, Tyler Sutherland hit an pop-out near pitcher Jen Arnold, but she lost the ball in the sun -- as it had happened many other times in other games today. The Wolves capitalized on the play as the next batter grounded into the hole on the left side to bring up Jessica Hallmark who looped a single to center for a run.

Western Oregon then used four hits -- two of them were bloopers to the outfield -- and two Warrior errors to score three times in the fifth to make the score 4-0.

Fleer improved to 20-5 on the season, striking out six and walking none to earn the win. Her fifth-inning single also drove in a run, one of three the Wolves scored in the frame to seal the victory.

WOU edged ahead in the third inning when Tyler Sutherland singled, moved to second on an error, and was driven home by Jessica Hallmark's single. Sutherland also started the fifth inning rally with a hit, scoring on a one-out single by Trina Dorn.

Angela Fleer kept it going with a single, moving to second on an error that allowed Dorn to come in. Her sister's RBI base hit finished the game's scoring.

Suffering the loss for CSU Stanislaus was Jennifer Arnold, who game up three runs - one earned - in four innings while allowing six hits. Jessica Gaumnitz pitched the final two frames, giving up four hits and one unearned run, striking out two.

The loss is the Warriors' first road setback in the last 19 games.


Western Oregon 4, Cal State Stanislaus 0 (May 08, 2008 at Arcata, Calif.)
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Cal State Stanislaus 000 000 0 -  0  6  3      (31-22)
Western Oregon...... 001 030 X -  4 10  1      (32-16)
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Pitchers: Cal State Stanislaus - ARNOLD, Jennifer; GAUMNITZ, Jessica(5). Western Oregon -
Fleer,Katie.
Win-Fleer,Katie(20-5)  Loss-ARNOLD, Jennifer(13-12)  T-1:31  A-46
Weather: Sunny
ARNOLD faced 2 batters in the 5th.