BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team continued its winning ways, sweeping its road Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader against Simon Fraser on Monday at Beedie Field.

 

WWU won the first game 9-1 in a run-rule-shortened 5-inning game and came from behind to win 10-5 in the nightcap.

 

The Vikings extended their winning streak to four consecutive games improving to 17-8 overall and remain in 2^nd place in the GNAC at 11-3. WWU has won 12 of its last 15 games and have already passed the conference win total from last season (9-19). WWU is now 5-1 on the road in GNAC play.

 

Western combined to bat .429 (24-for-56) in the doubleheader with 10 extra-base hits, including multi-home run games from Seli Aholelei (Game 1) and Emily Benson (Game 2). The Vikings have now recorded double-digits in hits in seven consecutive games and are batting .320 (228-for-712) overall while averaging 6.6 runs per game. Monday's 24-hit outburst included a 10-for-22 performance with runners in scoring position (.455), increasing WWU's league-leading season total to .371 (92-for-248).

 

Sophomore second baseman Kira Doan combined to go 4-for-6 with 3 runs, a double and 3 RBI in the doubleheader, including a clutch 2-run double in the top of the 7^th inning in the nightcap to break a 5-5 tie. Senior third baseman/pitcher Shearyna Labasan was 5-for-9 with a double and 3 RBI and Aholelei was 4-for-8 with 4 runs scored, a double, 2 home runs and 6 RBI.

 

Benson's pair of home runs in the nightcap give her 10 on the season to tie for the GNAC lead in 2019, and extend her WWU career record to 41 homers. She is now 2^nd in GNAC history in home runs, trailing only Western Oregon's Jessica Hallmark, who hit 45 home runs from 2008-11. Benson also now has a WWU all-time best three multi-home run games in her career.

 

Senior Makinlee Sellevold recorded the win in both games, allowing one run in 5.0 innings in her start in the first game and came on in relief in the second game throwing 4.0 scoreless frames.

 

The Clan dropped to 6-14 overall and 1-13 in GNAC play with the losses on Monday.

 

The Vikings continue their 13-game road trip with seven games in California this week as part of the annual spring break trip. WWU will play a non-conference doubleheader at Sonoma State on Wednesday and will then play five games in the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California this weekend.

 

 

The Vikings scored seven runs in the first three innings, riding the hot bat of junior Seli Aholelei in a 9-1 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

 

Aholelei went 3-for-3 with a double, a pair of home runs and a career-high 6 RBI to fuel WWU's 10-hit, 9-run offensive attack. Aholelei recorded a run-scoring double in the 2^nd inning, a 3-run home run in the 3^rd inning and added a 2-run homer in the 5^th inning to complete her 10-total base performance.

 

Sophomore second baseman Kira Doan went 2-for-2 with a double and senior third baseman Shearyna Labasan added a 2-for-4 performance with a double and 2 RBI out of the leadoff spot.

 

Senior Makinlee Sellevold tamed SFU scattering 6 hits and one run in the 5.0-inning complete-game victory. Sellevold improved to 10-6 on the season recording a pair of strikeouts without walking a batter.

 

SFU leadoff hitter Kate Fergusson went 2-for-3 to account for the Clan's only multi-hit game.

 

 

 

The Vikings built an early lead scoring three runs in the first inning, but then had to battle back, and ultimately sealed the sweep with a five-run 7^th inning in a 10-5 victory over Simon Fraser in the nightcap.

 

WWU got off to a quick start  with three runs in the top of the 1^st inning with freshman third basemanBrooke Fesenbek driving in a pair of runs with a double. 

 

SFU answered with four runs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning and another run in the bottom of the 3^rd to build a 5-4 lead.

 

SFU threatened to build on its lead in the bottom of the 3^rd inning, but WWU pulled off a nifty 6-2-5-4-8 double play to get out of the jam nearly unscathed allowing only one run. 

 

Benson hit solo home runs in the 3^rd and 5^th innings to give her 10 home runs on the season, marking her third career season with double digits in home runs (12 in 2016 and 2017). Her solo homer to lead off the top of the 5^th inning tie the game 5-5.

 

Senior Makinlee Sellevold held the Clan scoreless in her 4.0 innings of relief work, setting the stage for the Vikings big 7^th-inning.

 

WWU loaded the bases on singles by Paityn Cyr and Jackie Lucido, and a walk to Fesenbek. Sophomore second baseman Kira Doan drove in a pair of runs with a bases loaded single up the middle and sophomore right fielder Mackenzie Palmer plated two more runs with a double to the left field gap. Shearyna Labasan capped the five-run inning with a sacrifice fly to center field.

 

Sellevold (11-6) earned the win allowing one hit over her 4.0 scoreless innings, recording her GNAC-leading 11^th victory of the season.

 

Labasan went 3-for-5 out of the leadoff spot to increase her season batting average to .436 (17-for-39). Benson (2-for-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB), Cyr (2-for-3, R, RBI), Doan (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI) and Palmer (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) also recorded multi-hit games.

 

SFU starting pitcher Jessica Tate (0-6) was saddled with the loss allowing 14 hits and all 10 runs in 6.1 innings. Shortstop Hannah Boulanger went 2-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI to lead the Clan at the plate.

 

 

WWU (17-8, 11-3 GNAC) will head to California for seven games as part of its spring break road trip. The Vikings will play Sonoma State (15-9) in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday in Rohnert Park, California starting at 3 pm. WWU will then play five games in the 18th Annual Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock.

 

Seli Aholelei (Game 1) and Emily Benson (Game 2) both recorded multi-homer games on Monday vs. Simon Fraser, tying the WWU single-game record. The 16^th and 17^th time in program history a player has homered twice in the same game. Benson became the first player in program history to record three multi-homer games in a career.

 

 

Emily Benson hit a pair of home runs in the second game of today's doubleheader, giving her 10 on the season to tie NNU's Anna Williams for the GNAC lead. Benson now has 41 career home runs, extending her WWU record, and is now 2^nd in conference history in home runs, four short of the all-time record of 45 set by Jessica Hallmark of Western Oregon (2008-11).

 

 

Here is an updated look at the standings in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference through games played on Monday. WWU is in 2^nd place at 11-3 in conference play 14 games into the 28-game conference schedule.

 

 

Up-to-date season information, including season statistics, bios, roster, schedule and historical information can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/Softball. WWU Softball also has a strong social media presence on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, so give them a follow!

 

If you can't make it to Viking Field to watch the home games in person, you can tune in to VikingsTV to catch all the action…all GNAC games, home and road, will stream live and feature live stats at GNAC.tv, with home games also streamed live on YouTube…in addition to being available online, all conference matches are available via the GNAC channel on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV…live links can be accessed through WWUVikings.com/Live.

 

The WWU softball program is in its 27^th season, with the Vikings posting a winning record in 16 seasons and made four trips to the NCAA Division II Championships. WWU won the 1998 NAIA National Championship to record the school's first ever team national title. Over the last five seasons leading up to the 2019 season, the Vikings recorded a 135-104 (.565) record and won the 2017 GNAC Tournament to advance to the NCAA II West Regional in Monterey, California. In the first game of the regional, the No. 8-seed Vikings beat top-seed and regional host Cal State Monterey Bay for the program's first NCAA Championships victory. Head coach Sheryl Gilmore is in her first season at the helm of the program.

SB🥎 | @WWU_Softball trails Simon Fraser 5-4 in the top of the 4th inning. 

Emily Benson just hit a monster home run to center field for her 9th home run of the season. 

💻 » https://t.co/NnBRPCu2ji 
📊 » https://t.co/wrHNf7yoAm pic.twitter.com/LZaXYVYIXP
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) March 25, 2019



SB🥎 | No, this is not a replay...it's just another round-tripper for Emily Benson...No. 10 of the season and No. 41 of her career to move into 2nd all-time in #GNACSB history. 

🔽5: WWU 5, SFU 5

💻 » https://t.co/NnBRPCu2ji 
📊 » https://t.co/wrHNf7yoAm pic.twitter.com/KBdaB9RN3B
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) March 26, 2019



SB🥎 | Kira Doan breaks the 5-5 tie with a 2-run single up the middle.

 🔼7: WWU 9, SFU 5 (1 out)

💻 » https://t.co/NnBRPCu2ji 
📊 » https://t.co/wrHNf7yoAm pic.twitter.com/vTaIi4opZt
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) March 26, 2019



SB🥎 | Mackenzie Palmer adds to the lead with a 2-run double to the gap as the Vikings score 5 runs in the top of the 7th inning....looking for the #GNACSB sweep!

🔽7: WWU 10, SFU 5

💻 » https://t.co/NnBRPCu2ji 
📊 » https://t.co/wrHNf7yoAm pic.twitter.com/za9O1KyT3R
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) March 26, 2019