BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University senior starting pitcher Anna Kasner threw a perfect game to highlight the Vikings doubleheader split vs. Saint Martin's on Friday at Viking Field.

 

WWU defeated Saint Martin's 8-0 in a run-rule-shortened six innings in the opening game of the doubleheader, with the Saints battling back to win the nightcap 6-1.

 

The right-hander needed just 71 pitches to record the third perfect game in the 29-year history of the WWU program, and the seventh perfecto in the 20-year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 

 

Kasner (Milton, WA/Fife) recorded her second career no-hitter for the 27^th no-no in GNAC history and the 11^th in WWU history. She is the third pitcher in Western history to record multiple no-hitters, joining Alison Haukaas and Kristen Kiekenapp.

 

It was the first perfect games by a WWU or GNAC pitcher since Sarah McEnroe fired a 5-inning perfect game for the Vikings in a 10-0 win over Northwest Nazarene on April 10, 2009 at Viking Field.

 

With the doubleheader split the Vikings are now 7-3 on the season. The loss in the second game snapped a season-high four-game winning streak.

 

Junior center fielder Lauren Lo (Issaquah, WA/Skyline) combined to go 3-for-7 in the doubleheader, extending her hitting streak to eight consecutive games. Junior shortstop Tatum Dow (Issaquah, WA/Bellevue College) and junior third baseman Megan Marino (Bothell, WA/Bellevue College) also recorded three hits during the doubleheader.

 

 

Anna Kasner threw the third perfect game in WWU softball history and the seventh in GNAC history, needing just 71 pitches to retire all 18 batters she faced in the 8-0 WWU victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

 

The right-hander struck out six batters, inducing 12 flyouts and the six strikeouts for her second shutout of the season to improve to 4-1. 

 

WWU recorded 12 hits in the game, led by the 3-for-4 performance from junior third baseman Megan Marino. After recording singles in the first and fifth innings, Marino delivered a two-run walk-off single in the sixth inning to invoke the 8-run mercy rule.

 

Junior shortstop Tatum Dow went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and Kasner helped he own cause going 2-for-4 at the plate.

 

Kasner was credited with the game-winning RBI, plating a run in the top of the first inning on a groundout to shortstop. On the play, Kasner tripped over the first base bag trying to beat out an infield single and was removed from the game for a pinch-hitter.

 

She shook off the injury and re-inserted into the lineup in the top of the 2^nd inning, and retired the final 15 batters she faced for the perfect game. 

 

 

 

The Vikings had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 6-1 loss to the Saints, being held to a season-low five hits.

 

Saint Martin's freshman pitcher Abby Runyon improved to 4-1 on the season with the complete-game victory, allowing one run and five hits in 7.0 innings. She struck out six batters and walked four.

 

The Vikings issued a season-high eight walks, with junior right-hander Kira Doan suffering the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season. 

 

The Saints broke open a 1-1 game with four runs in the top of the 4^th inning, with third baseman Britney Patrick driving in a pair of runs with a single. 

 

Senior center fielder Lauren Lo went 2-for-3 with a triple to extend her hitting streak to eight consecutive games.

 

 

The Vikings (7-3) and Saints (8-2) complete the four-game non-conference series Saturday with a doubleheader at Viking Field starting at 11 am. With no fans allowed due to GNAC and COVID protocols, fans can follow the action online with a direct link available for your computers and devices at WWUVikings.com/SB_Watch.

 

All home games hosted by WWU will feature a live webcast with sports information student assistant Ben Bagley calling the action live from Viking Field. The games will stream exclusively via VikingsTV on YouTube.

 

Here is a list of the 11 no-hitters and three perfect games in the 29 years of WWU softball history:

 

 

Senior Anna Kasner recorded six strikeouts in her perfect game, moving her career total to 438 to move into a tie for 2^nd place in WWU history, pulling even with Erika Quint (2010-11).  Her total also moved her into the top five in GNAC history. In five starts this season (29.2 IP), Kasner has recorded 40 strikeouts (9.43 K/7.0 IP). Here is a look at where Kasner ranks in both WWU and GNAC history for strikeouts:

 

 

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!

 

The WWU softball program enters its 29^th season in 2021, with the Vikings posting a winning record 17 times. WWU won the 1998 NAIA National Championship in only its sixth season to record the school's first ever team national title and has made four trips to the NCAA Division II Regional Championships, last in 2017. Over the last six seasons (since 2014), the Vikings are 172-134 and won the 2017 GNAC Tournament to advance to the NCAA II West Regional in Monterey, California. Head coach Sheryl Gilmore is in her third season at the helm of the program in 2020 after leading WWU to 27 wins, tied for the 10^th-most in program history, in her first campaign in 2019.