March 31, 2007
Box Score
MODESTO, Calif. - Liza Teichler (Jr., Sammamish/Skyline) and Ashley Osman (Sr., Federal Way/Jefferson) had the game-winning hits as Western Washington University rallied from deficits of three and eight runs to post victories over San Francisco State, 8-7, and Chico State, 13-12 in eight innings, in second-day crossover pool play Saturday in Mizuno Tournament of Champions softball action at Pedretti Field.
The Vikings, who finished 3-2 in pool play, are 13-12 overall. They begin championship bracket play Sunday, competing in the Gold Division, and meet host Cal State Stanislaus at 11:15 a.m.
Chico State, which fell to 3-2 in the tourney and 12-23 overall, led 10-2 after four innings. A three-run homer by Western's Meghan Flem (Fr., Hood River/Hood River Valley) in the fifth, her third of the season, cut the margin to five. That came when WWU was two outs away from the eight-run mercy rule ending the game.
In the sixth, the Vikings scored four more times, highlighted by a two-run double by Katie Barker (So., Auburn/Auburn-Riverside), to cut the deficit to one. Flem and Morgan Parkerson (So., RAF Lakenheath, England) each had run-scoring singles.
Hannah Becker (Fr., Robstown, TX/Calallen) tied the game at 10-all with a single in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. With the international tie-breaker in effect, the Wildcats scored two runs in the eighth on a two-out bloop single by Christin Johnson for a 12-10 lead.
In the bottom of that inning, Western plated one run on a passed ball before Teichler ended it with a two-run single.
The Vikings, whose 13 runs and 18 hits were both season highs, were led by Flem, who was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs, and Teichler, who was 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI. Barker was 4-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI.
Chico State scored three runs in both the first and third innings, and added four more in the fourth. The Wildcats' two through five hitters were a combined 11-for-15 with 10 runs scored and 11 runs batted in.
In the SFSU game, Osman, who was 4-for-4, drove in the Vikings' winning run with a two-out double to cap a four-run sixth inning. Misty Britt (Sr., Kelso) and Teichler each were 3-for-4 and drove in three runs apiece.
Trialing the Gators by three in the sixth, Britt had a two-run single to pull Western within one and Tiechler tied the game at 7-7 with an RBI-single. That set the stage for Osman.
Britt ended the game in the seventh with a catch in deep centerfield to strand a runner on first.
Britt gave Western a 1-0 lead in the first as she had a bunt single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Teichler. A run-scoring double by Britt in the second put the Vikings in front 2-0.
SFSU, which fell to 1-4 in tourney play and 21-22 overall, went ahead 3-2 with three runs in the third.
Western took a 4-3 lead in the fourth as Teichler drove in two runs on a two-out, bases-loaded single. But the Gators scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings for a 7-4 advantage.
Jackie Quint (Sr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap) (7-4), who has earned two wins at the tourney, struck out seven while giving up 11 hits.
Western had 14 hits, its second-highest total of the year. The Vikings, who totaled 21 runs and 32 hits on the day, were coming off their first shutout of the campaign.
