Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 March 1, 2018
Final Stats
WWU Softball | 2018 Statistics | Career Stats | Schedule/Results | Roster | Season Preview | WWU Record BookGNAC Links: Standings | Schedule/Results | Statistics | GNAC Records
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University softball team opened Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader split against Northwest Nazarene Thursday afternoon at Viking Field on the WWU campus.
NNU won the first game 4-1, with WWU coming out on top in the nightcap 4-3.
The Vikings improved to 4-9 on the season with 4 wins in their last 6 games. NNU is 8-11 overall and 1-1 in GNAC play.
Both of WWU's pitchers, sophomore Anna Kasner (Milton, WA/Fife) in the first game and junior Shearyna Labasan (Mililani, HI/Maryknoll) in the second game, went the distance in the split. Kasner notched her eighth career double-digit strikeout performance with 11 strikeouts.
Overall WWU was out-hit 19-9 on the day, but played good defense making only one error in the two games. Kasner was the lone Viking to record hits in both games, combining to go 2-for-6 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBI and hit her fourth home run of the season to tie Paityn Cyr (Mount Vernon, WA) for the team lead and tied for 2nd-most in the GNAC.
Head coach Amy Suiter recorded her 200th victory at WWU, a .562 winning percentage (200-156) in her eight seasons leading the program.
"I think our pitchers did a good job of keeping us in the games today," said Suiter following the doubleheader. "We struggled offensively to make the adjustments when we needed to score runs. I expect us to make these adjustments for tomorrow's games."
The same two teams will play another GNAC doubleheader Friday starting at noon at Viking Field.
Game 1: NNU 4, WWU 1
Box Score | Game Book
Anna Kasner recorded 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort and also hit her fourth home run of the season, but the Vikings late comeback attempt came up short in a 4-1 loss in the first game of the doubleheader.
Kasner led off the bottom of the 7th inning with a solo home run down the left field line, and WWU brought the potential game-tying run to the plate, but fell short in the home and GNAC opener.
WWU was out-hit 9-6 in the game, with freshman second baseman Kira Doan (Brier, WA/Mountlake Terrace) going 2-for-3 with a double.
Kasner (1-5) suffered the loss in the circle allowing 9 hits and 4 runs in her third complete game of the season. She recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts for her eighth career game with double-digits in strikeouts.
NNU leadoff hitter Cassidy Fifield went 2-for-4 with one RBI and second baseman Shelbie Martinez was 1-for-4 with 2 RBI. Freshman starting pitcher Jordan Adams improved to 5-3 on the season limiting the Vikings to 6 hits and one run in her complete-game effort.
Northwest Nazarene 4, Western Washington 1 (March 01, 2018 at Bellingham, WA)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 012 001 00 - 4 9 1 (8-10, 1-0 GNAC)
Western Washington.. 000 000 1X - 1 6 1 (3-9, 0-1 GNAC)
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Northwest Nazarene - Adams and Sylvester
Western Washington - Kasner and Hardy
Win-Adams (5-3) Loss-Kasner (1-5) T-2:15
HR WWU - Kasner (4)
Game 2: WWU 4, NNU 3
Box Score | Game Book
The Vikings scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, and then held on for a 4-3 victory over NNU to record the doubleheader split.
Shearyna Labasan evened her pitching record at 3-3 by scattering 10 hits and 3 runs in her complete-game effort. The junior struck out 3 and walked a pair in her 92-pitch performance.
All four of WWU's runs came in the first two innings. The Vikings loaded the bases in the bottom of the 1st inning on back-to-back walks by Labasan and freshman catcher Erica Hardy (Henderson, NV/Coronado), and the school-record-breaking 21st hit-by-pitch for senior right fielder Carlie Richards (Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin). Freshman first baseman Rylie Wales (Snohomish, WA) plated the first run with a two-out walk and the second run came home on a wild pitch.
NNU scored a run in the top of the 2nd inning on a solo home run by catcher Brittany Genuardi to cut WWU's lead to 2-1, but the Vikings answered with 2 more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kasner led off the inning with a single up the middle, and back-to-back walks again loaded the bases. Hardy drove in a run on a fielder's choice groundout and Richards added an insurance run with a bunt single to score freshman left fielder Lauren Lo (Issaquah, WA/Skyline).
NNU scored a pair of runs in the top of the 3rd inning to cut WWU's lead to 4-3, with third baseman Abiigal Otto plating both runs with a single to right-center field.
After NNU cut the lead to one run, Labasan allowed only 5 hits (4 singles) over the final four innings to secure the WWU victory. The Vikings were limited to one hit over their final four at-bats, with NNU reliever Rae Young allowing just 3 hits in 6.0 innings of relief work. Nighthawk starter Rylee Thomas (2-4) suffered the loss allowing 2 runs on 2 walks after not recording an out in the 1st inning.
Western Washington 4, Northwest Nazarene 3 (March 01, 2018 at Bellingham, WA)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 012 000 0 - 3 10 0 (8-11, 1-1 GNAC GNAC)
Western Washington.. 220 000 X - 4 3 0 (4-9, 1-1 GNAC GNAC)
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Northwest Nazarene - Thomas; Young (1) and Genuardi
Western Washington - Labasan and Hardy
Win-Labasan (3-3) Loss-Thomas (2-4) T-1:34 A-50
HR NNU - Genuardi (5)
