Western Washington University softball walked in the winning run to beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 4-3, in the first game of the NCAA Division II West Super Regional on Tuesday, May 14 at Viking Field.
Western (47-8) erased a 3-1 deficit to beat CSUDH (38-20), as junior Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez was walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, tied 3-3, to score junior McKenna Crum.
“It maybe wasn’t our prettiest win, but it was gritty,” Western head coach Sheryl Gilmore said. “I’m just proud of the way they continue to battle when things don’t go our way right away.”
The Vikings are now one win away from the first Elite Eight berth in program history, and they can win the best-of-three series with a game two victory at noon on Wednesday, May 15.
A win there sends the Vikings to Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Florida for the postseason’s final stage May 19–25. If Western loses, it will play a winner-take-all series cap at 2:30 p.m. the same day.
“It’s all a credit to [the players’] work … it’s really cool for the program, but it wouldn’t happen without them actually getting out there and doing it,” Gilmore added.
Freshman Maleah Andrews, who has been an effective lead-off batter this postseason, crushed a solo home run to left field on the Vikings’ first at-bat of the game.
It was her sixth homer of the season and second of the NCAA tournament. Western took a 1-0 lead into the second inning.
In the top of the third, Western freshman pitcher Alli Kimball was hit by a ball put in play by CSUDH senior Jay Ross. She remained in the circle after a momentary stoppage, but the Toros stacked runners on first and third with one out.
Junior Kaylee Hull then sent a three-run homer to left-center field, scoring Ross and senior Mariah Ramirez, to give CSUDH a 3-1 advantage. Western junior Joie Baker replaced Kimball in the circle immediately after.
“Something about this team that I like a lot is that there’s not just one superstar or two,” Baker said. “Our whole pitching staff is really good, so being able to pick each other up is awesome.”
The Vikings eventually rebounded. Senior Ashley Jacobson logged the third home run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a solo bomb to left field. That made it 3-2 with one out on the board.
“I just kind of wanted to help my team get something started,” Jacobson said.
On Western’s next at-bat, senior Emily Paulson doubled to right-center field. That momentum was halted, however, after consecutive strikeouts ended the inning.
CSUDH was held scoreless the rest of the way by Western’s Baker and freshman reliever Kaiana Kong.
In the bottom of the sixth, Andrewjeski-Ramirez sent in a double to center field — just short of the fence.
Paulson, on a 3-2 count and fresh off being hit by her own foul ball, then singled down the left field line to score freshman Laila Carpenter (running for Andrewjeski-Ramirez) and tie the game.
Kong held strong, striking out CSUDH senior Alani Nguyen on the Toros’ final plate appearance. The Vikings went to the bottom of the seventh with a chance to win the game.
Crum began the half-inning with a single, before Andrews was walked — still with no outs. Pitoy put down a sacrifice bunt to advance Western’s runners.
Rath was then intentionally walked, loading the bases for Western with Andrewjeski-Ramirez up to bat. It took nine pitches, and a 3-2 throw, to get Crum home to end the game.
Connor J. Benintendi is a former CDN sports reporter, send tips and information to newstips@cascadiadaily.com.
