May 6, 2011
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Outfielder Michelle Wrigley (Sr., Bothell/Inglemoor) became the school career hits leader and pitcher Erika Quint (Sr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap) broke the conference season strikeout record as Western Washington University split with Saint Martin's University, winning the opener, 7-3 and losing the nightcap, 6-4, on Friday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Viking Field on the WWU campus.
The split ended the Vikings' hopes of a GNAC championship. They are second in the standings at 23-10 and 35-13 overall and will finish their regular season with a doubleheader Saturday (12 noon) at arch-rival Central Washington. The Wildcats, who won the title for the second straight year, are 26-7 in league action and 32-13 overall.
The GNAC championship gives Central an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II West Regional. The Vikings, ranked No.5 in this week's regional rating, are virtually assured of a regional berth.
Western finished with a 5-1 season mark against Saint Martin's, which is 8-29 overall and 7-24 in league action.
Western's seven seniors were honored prior to Friday's opener. They included third baseman Kelsey Anderson (Mount Vernon), outfielder Karli Baumgartner (Silverdale/Central Kitsap), outfielder Hilary Cosentino (Stevenson), shortstop Caitlin Dotlich (Sedro-Woolley/Burlington-Edison), Quint, catcher-third baseman Samantha Rutherford (Kenmore/Inglemoor) and Wrigley.
Wrigley had three hits in raising her four-year career total to 195, breaking the WWU record of 194 set by Jen Brandolini from 1996 to 1999. Quint struck out seven in 7-2/3 innings for a season total of 279, eclipsing the GNAC mark of 276 by Humboldt State's Lizzy Prescott in 2006.
In the first game, Western took a 5-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first and two more in the second on a single by Krista Bickar (Jr., Hoquiam).
Saint Martin's pulled within two, 5-3, with three runs in the fourth, all of them coming with two out. Brandi Klemm hit a solo home run and in between two walks, Kelsie McGladrey doubled in one run and Leslie McGladrey singled in another.
Quint, who improved to 27-5, worked the first five innings for the Vikings, and Devyn Baker (Fr., Montesano) pitched two innings of scoreless relief.
The Vikings scored two insurance runs, both unearned, in the fifth, on a two-run single by Baumgartner.
In the second game, Saint Martin's had 13 hits off three Western pitchers, snapping a scoreless tie with four runs in the third. Megan Antonovich had a two-run single, followed by a two-run double by Joslyn Eugenio.
The Vikings scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the third, and cut the margin to one, 4-3, with a run in the fifth. Wrigley led off with a single, giving her sole possession of the career hits record, and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Saint Martin's increased its lead to 6-3 with two runs in the sixth, Jaimee Aiwohi doubling home one and Eugenio driving in her third of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Western scored one on a Jackie Rothenberger (So., Coquitlam, B.C./Gleneagle Secondary) single, and had runners on first and second when Klemm (4-15), the Saints' pitcher, got the complete-game victory with a ground out.
The Vikings' Jordan Emmil (Jr., Colville) was 3-for-3 in the contest and pitcher Jenna DeRosier (Fr., Kelso), who had not seen action for over a month because of illness, worked three innings.
