March 22, 2016 Game 1 - Box Score
Game 2 - Box Score
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Western Washington Vikings were swept in a softball doubleheader at Central Washington Tuesday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
WWU dropped the first game 7-3 and let a 7-0 lead slip away in a 13-12 slugfest that ended with a CWU walk-off victory.
The Vikings have dropped six of their last seven games to fall to 12-14 overall and 7-9 in GNAC play. The Wildcats improved to 18-7 overall and 6-6 in GNAC play, snapping a four-game losing streak vs. the Vikings.
The games were makeups for the March 13 rainouts.
The big inning was the culprit all day for the Vikings, allowing a 5-run 2nd inning in the first game, and 4 & 6-run innings in the second game.
Senior third baseman Emma Blauser (Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer) carried a hot stick for the Vikings combining to go 6-for-8 with 3 runs, 2 doubles and one RBI in the doubleheader. Senior catcher Taylor Clark (Tacoma, WA/Wilson) went 5-for-8 with a pair of 2-run home runs.
Sophomore first baseman Emily Benson (West Richland, WA/Kamiakin) was 4-for-7 with 2 runs scored, 4 RBI and hit her team-leading 8th home run of the season. The 8 home runs are already tied for the 3rd-most in a single season in WWU history (record is 10 by teammate Alexie Levin in 2014) and her 15 career home runs are 5th-most in WWU history (record is 22 by Meghan Flem from 2007-2010). With hits in both games she extended her hitting streak to 11 consecutive games.
WWU pitching surrendered 24 hits and 20 runs in the doubleheader, with the 13 runs by CWU in Game 2 the most allowed since 14 runs vs. Sonoma State last season (3/26/15).
Kailyn Campbell (6-for-9, 3 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI) and Kayla Smith (recorded both pitching wins) led the Wildcats to the sweep.
The Vikings return to action this weekend with a pair of GNAC doubleheaders at Montana State Billings Friday (12 & 2 pm PT, 1 / 3 pm MT) and Saturday (11 am & 1 pm PT / 12 & 2 pm MT).
The Vikings fell behind 6-0 after the first two innings and were held scoreless until the 7th inning in a 7-3 defeat in the first game of the doubleheader.
CWU scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and recording 5 hits. Second baseman Amanda Hamada provided the big hit with a three-run double to left-center.
The Wildcats were limited to only one run over the final four innings, but WWU couldn't muster up a rally until its final at-bat. Back-to-back doubles by Blauser and sophomore pitcher Makinlee Sellevold (Everett, WA/Cascade) put the Vikings on the scoreboard. Clark followed with a 2-run home run to right field, the first of her two longballs on the day.
The Vikings were only out-hit 10-9 in the game, but committed 3 errors leading to 5 unearned runs.
Sellevold (4-7) recorded the loss allowing 7 runs (2 ER) in a complete-game (6.0 IP) effort.
Benson went 1-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.
Central Washington 7, Western Washington 3 (Mar 22, 2016 at Ellensburg, WA) (Game 1)----------------------------------------------------------------------Western Washington.. 000 000 3 - 3 9 3 (12-13, 7-8 GNAC)Central Washington.. 150 100 X - 7 10 0 (17-6, 5-6 GNAC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Western Washington - Sellevold and ClarkCentral Washington - Smith, Wood (7) and WilkersonWin-Smith (3-0) Loss-Sellevold (4-7) T-1:34HR WWU - Clark (1)
In the second game the Vikings got off to a great start with a monster 7-run 1st inning, but couldn't hold on to the large lead in a 13-12 loss to the Wildcats.
WWU sent 12 batters to the plate in the 7-run 1st inning, with Benson (2-run single) and Clark (2-run home run) providing the big hits.
Central chipped away at the lead with a four-run 2nd inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by right fielder Michaela Hazlett.
With the Vikings holding an 8-4 lead, the Wildcats exploded for 6 more runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to take a 10-8 lead.
Western tied the game at 10-10 with a pair of runs in the top of the 6th on a two-run single by senior Arianna Barrio (Stanwood, WA/Lakewood), but Central answered with a pair of their own runs to take a 12-10 lead.
Benson tied the game at 12-12 with a tape-measure home run to right-center in the top of the 7th inning to again tie the game at 12-12.
With two outs and nobody on base, Central rallied for the walk-off victory. Catcher Austin Wilkerson singled through the left side and came around to score the game-winning run on a three-base error by Barrio in center field.
Blauser finished with a career-high four hits (4-for-5) and Benson was 3-for-4 (2 R, 4 RBI, BB) to extend her hitting streak to 11 consecutive games.
Freshman starting pitcher Shearyna Labasan (Mililani, HI/Maryknoll) allowed 11 hits and 10 runs in 5.0 innings to record a no-decision. Junior Shayna Adelstein (Tucson, AZ/Marana Mountain View) recorded the loss allowing 3 hits and 3 runs (1 ER) in 1.2 innings.
Central Washington 13, Western Washington 12 (Mar 22, 2016 at Ellensburg, WA) (Game 2)----------------------------------------------------------------------Western Washington.. 701 002 2 - 12 17 5 (12-14, 7-9 GNAC)Central Washington.. 040 062 1 - 13 14 2 (18-7, 6-6 GNAC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Western Washington - Labasan, Adelstein (6) and AmundsonCentral Washington - Copodonna, Wood (1), Smith (7) and WilkersonWin-Smith (4-0) Loss-Adelstein (0-2) T-5:22 A-143HR WWU - Benson (8), Clark (2)HR CWU - Hazlett (1)
