Feb. 11, 2012
Box Score - Grand Canyon
Box Score - Academy of Art
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Western Washington University scored in every inning but the first in defeating Grand Canyon, 9-6, and then had a comeback fall short in a 7-5 loss to Academy of Art in second-day action Saturday at the third annual Desert Stinger Softball Tournament being held at Majestic Park.
The Vikings, who also split a pair of games Friday, are 2-7 overall. They complete tourney play Sunday (11:30 a.m.) against Sonoma State.
In the Grand Canyon contest, WWU led 8-1 after five and one-half innings.
The Vikings scored one run in the second on a double by Rachelle Berry (Jr., Alger/Burlington-Edison) and another in the third as Krista Bickar (Sr., Hoquiam) drew a bases-loaded walk.
WWU plated three more in the fourth on run-scoring singles by Kaleigh Keating (So., Salinas, CA) and Meghan Carrillo (So., Prunedale, CA/North Monterey County) and a sacrifice fly by Jessica Carey (Sr., Everett).
Tayler Blumenfeld (Fr., Lake Stevens) had a two-run single in the fifth and Carey led off the sixth with a home run as she set a school record with round-trippers in three consecutive games.
WWU starting pitcher Erika Hendron (Jr., Redmond), who evened her record at 1-1, allowed just one unearned run through five innings, but gave up a two-run homer to Grand Canyon's Kelsey Barak in the sixth.
Blumenfeld drove in her third run of the game with a single in the seventh, and the Antelopes scored three times in the bottom of that frame, two of the runs being unearned.
The Vikings fell behind ART U, 7-0. Genna Allen drove in five of those runs with a solo home run in the first, a two-run single in the third and two-run homer in the Urban Knights' four-run fourth.
WWU fought back with five runs in the sixth. Berry began the scoring in that frame with a two-run homer. Kirsten Allen (Jr., Arlington) had a two-run double and Keating a run-scoring single.
Berry leads Viking hitters through the first four tournament games with a .538 average (7-fo-13) and Carey is batting .429 (6-for-14) with three home runs, six runs batted in and five runs scored.
