April 14, 2011
Box Score
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University catcher Jackie Rothenberger (So., Coquitlam, B.C./Gleneagle Secondary) hit home runs in consecutive at bats and tied two school records as the Vikings defeated Montana State University Billings, 9-4, in the opening game of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Thursday at Viking Field on the WWU campus.
Rain forced the nightcap to be halted in the bottom of the third inning with Western leading 2-1. That game will be resumed at 1:30 p.m. Friday, followed by another contest between the two teams.
The Vikings, ranked No.20 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll and No.1 in the West Region, improved to 28-7 overall and are atop the GNAC standings at 15-4. MSUB fell to 19-19 overall and 14-12 in conference play.
Rothenberger belted a three-run homer in the first inning and followed with a grand-slam home run in the second. The two round trippers, her third and fourth of the season, and seven runs batted in tied Western records. Rothenberger walked in her other two times at bat.
Western pitcher Erika Quint (Sr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap) improved to 21-1 with her 15th complete-game victory. She struck out five, while giving up six hits and walking three.
MSUB's runs came on a pair of two-run homers. Kelly Parsons hit her 12th of the season in the second and Bobbie Lee connected for her second of the year in the fifth.
The Vikings also scored a run in the fourth on a base hit by Krista Bickar (Jr., Hoquiam) and another in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Michelle Wrigley (Sr., Bothell/Inglemoor).
In the uncompleted second game, Western took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Rothenberger drove in one run with a single and a sacrifice fly by Samantha Rutherford (Sr., Kenmore/Inglemoor) brought in the other.
MSUB cut the lead to one in the third on a run-scoring double by Nicole Colpron.
Western had runners on first and second with no outs when the contest was suspended in the third.
