Western Washington University softball split its two-day, four-game home series versus Western Oregon University March 26–27, moving into fourth place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.
The Vikings played two games on both Sunday and Monday, winning the second game of each doubleheader.
Western, now 14-14 overall and 6-6 in GNAC contests, has lost six of its last 10 games and will be on the road until the final doubleheader of the regular season on April 22.
Game one: WOU 10, WWU 8 (nine innings)
Western junior pitcher Mareena Ramirez pitches in the top of the second inning during the first game of a four-game series against Western Oregon. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/Cascadia Daily News)
It took nine innings to decide the first game of the series as both teams’ bats were streaky throughout the contest.
Western sophomore Amaya Davis got the Vikings on the board in the first inning, as the infielder was credited with an RBI after she was walked with the bases loaded.
Davis consistently got on base, finishing 4-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and two RBIs.
The Vikings controlled a 3-0 lead heading into the top of the third, but Western Oregon erupted for eight runs in the frame. Wolves senior infielder Maddie Brandner highlighted the inning for her team with a three-run double to push the lead up to 7-3.
Senior pitcher Mareena Ramirez, who entered the contest 10-3 on the season, struggled in the game, allowing four hits, three walks and a season-high six earned runs in 3.1 innings.
Western responded, tying the game at 8-8 after scoring twice in the third inning and adding three runs in the fourth. Vikings senior third baseman Brooke Fesenbek scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the fourth on a double to left-centerfield by senior outfielder Taylor Khorrami.
Both teams went cold for three innings, forcing a ninth. Western Oregon regained a two-run lead in the top of the ninth on a 2-run single by freshman infielder Sydney Conklin, and Western had three-straight batters retired in the bottom of the inning.
Vikings junior relief pitcher Hanako Hirai was given the loss, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out three.
Fesenbek was another bright spot for Western, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Game two: WWU 3, WOU 2 (eight innings)
Western senior first baseman Brooke Fesenbek hypes up her team during an 8-8 tie heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/Cascadia Daily News)
Western bounced back from the game one loss, erasing a 2-0 deficit and earning a walk-off eight-inning victory over the Wolves.
Sophomore starting pitcher Joie Baker made her season debut after returning from offseason knee surgery, striking out five batters while allowing just three hits and two earned runs in five innings pitched.
The Vikings racked up 10 hits, with seven coming in the sixth through eighth innings to overcome Western Oregon’s 2-0 advantage at the outset of the sixth frame.
Senior utility player Kinzey Williams ignited Western’s bats in the bottom of the sixth, and she eventually scored on a two-out Fesenbek single to center field.
Sophomore utility player Lexi Barcomb tied the game on a single from freshman infielder Hailey Rath in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the game proceeded to an eighth.
After holding Western Oregon scoreless in the top of the eighth, junior outfielder Isabel Cargill sent a game-winning sacrifice fly to left field that scored senior outfielder Mikayla Liljenberg.
Rath finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI while Fesenbek was 2-for-4, also adding an RBI.
Game three: WOU 10, WWU 0 (six innings)
Western Oregon freshman third baseman Sydney Conklin celebrates after advancing to second on a single by Chelby Smalley in the top of the third inning. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/Cascadia Daily News)
The third game of the series was all Wolves, as the Vikings were run-ruled and outhit 15-4 in a shutout loss.
Western Oregon methodically built its eventually insurmountable lead, never scoring more than three runs in any one inning.
The Vikings struggled to drive in their runs, leaving two runners on base in the bottom of the first inning and three in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ramirez was dealt her fourth loss of the season (10-4), pitching four innings and allowing seven hits and four earned runs while striking out four. Hirai relieved Ramirez in the top of the fifth, striking out two batters and allowing eight hits and three earned runs in two innings pitched.
Game four: WWU 3, WOU 2
Western junior catcher Emily Paulson singles to right field during the fourth inning against Western Oregon. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/Cascadia Daily News)
The final match of the four-game series unfolded opposite of Western’s game-two win but concluded with another favorable result for the Vikings.
Western posted the first run in the bottom of the fourth when Fesenbek reached on a fielder’s choice to shortstop, advancing to second as Rath made it to third and then scored on an error by Western Oregon’s second baseman. Davis was thrown out at second on the play.
Liljenberg scored another in the inning on a single to center field by Cargill, pushing the Vikings’ lead to 2-0.
The Wolves picked up runs in the fifth and sixth innings, sending it to the bottom of the sixth tied at 2-2.
Rath then stepped into her team-leading fifth home run of the season to give Western a 3-2 lead, and the Vikings closed the game out in the top of the seventh.
Baker pitched a complete game for Western, striking out six while allowing seven hits and only two earned runs.
The Vikings had just five hits in the game, two of which came from Rath. The freshman finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, an RBI and her game-winning home run.
Up next: Western will head to the 2023 Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California, where the Vikings will face Academy of Art University, Sonoma State University, San Francisco State University, Cal State University East Bay and Cal State University San Bernardino from March 31–April 2.
The Vikings’ full schedule can be found here.
