ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team was clicking on all cylinders in Sunday's doubleheader sweep at Central Washington.

 

The Vikings recorded a record-breaking offensive performance defeating the Wildcats by scores of 19-2 and 15-3, setting a program record with 34 runs scored in consecutive games. WWU also pounded out 30 hits (13 extra-base hits), allowed only five runs and did not make a fielding error in the sweep of CWU. Both games ended early due to the run rule with the Vikings leading by more than 8 runs after 5 innings (6 innings in Game 1, 5 innings in Game 2).

 

Western won three of the four games in the series vs. its in-state rival Central (3-3) to improve to 6-2 on the season. The series played at Frederick Field on the CWU campus did not count towards the official Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, with the 20-game conference slate scheduled to begin March 20-21.

 

"I am so incredibly proud of this team and the way they have come together," said WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore. "The team chemistry this group contributes to the pass-the-bat mentality and their composure on defense - even when things go wrong, they don't overreact. They all have each other's backs and they trust the process. It's been so cool to see them get better every time they step on the field. It was a complete team effort this weekend and we are excited to see what this team can do."

 

In the first game, WWU equaled its program mark for runs scored in the 19-2 victory, which was originally set on May 2, 2002 on the same field vs. CWU (19-5 win). The 34 runs scored in back-to-back games eclipsed the previous mark of 33 runs in a two-game span in a doubleheader on March 25, 2016 at Montana State Billings (15-1, 18-13 wins).

 

Junior shortstop Tatum Dow (5-for-7, 2B, HR, 6 RBI) and junior outfielder Rylie Wales (4-for-6, 4 R, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI) led the Vikings offense Sunday. Junior center fielder Lauren Lo (4-for-6, 4 R, RBI) and sophomore designated player Brooke Fesenbek (4-for-8, 4 R, 3 2B, 5 RBI) also had solid performances at the plate. 

 

Freshman pitcher Sydney Brown made her first collegiate start and earned the win in the second game of the doubleheader allowing 2 hits and one run in 3.0 innings. She also helped her cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a 3-run double.

 

Senior starting pitcher Anna Kasner recorded her third win of the season striking out 7 batters in 5.0 innings in the opening game, and went 3-for-5 with 4 runs scored at the plate.

 

WWU out-scored the Wildcats 44-15 in the four-game series, while recording 49 hits (.392 batting average, .576 slugging percentage).

 

 

The Vikings tied a single-game program record scoring 19 runs in the opening game of the doubleheader, pounding out 16 hits with seven players recorded a multi-hit performance.

 

The 19 runs scored equals the single-game high in the 29 years of WWU Softball history that was originally set May 2, 2002 with a 19-5 win over CWU on the same Frederick Field.

 

Junior shortstop Tatum Dow led the way going 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. Dow hit a run-scoring double in the 1^st inning and followed with a 3-run home run to left field in the top of the 2nd inning.

 

Senior starting pitcher Anna Kasner helped her own cause going 3-for-5 at the plate, with 4 runs scored, and earned her third win of the season allowing a pair of runs in 5.0 innings.

 

Junior left fielder Rylie Wales hit her first home run of the season and went 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored and reached base safely five times (2 BB). 

 

The Wildcats made five errors in the game, that led to five unearned runs. Second baseman Harlee Carpenter went 2-for-2 with a walk and hit a pair of triples to lead CWU at the plate.

 

 

 

The Vikings continued its hitting barrage in the second game, recording 14 hits in a 15-3 victory over the Wildcats in a run-rule-shortened 5 innings.

 

WWU scored four runs in the top of the 1^st inning, with freshman pitcher Sydney Brown giving herself some run support with a 3-run double to left-center field.

 

The Vikings added four more runs in the top of the 3^rd inning sending nine batters to the plate. Sophomore designated player Brooke Fesenbek and junior right fielder Rylie Wales hit back-to-back doubles, with Wales driving in a pair of runs.

 

Western continued the run-scoring them with three more runs in the 4^th inning and four in the 5^th. Wales capped her 2-for-3, 5-RBI performance with a bases loaded double to center field.

 

Brown (1-0) earned the win in her first collegiate start (3.0 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 2 K), with freshman Hanako Hirai (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K) and junior Kira Doan (1.0 IP, BB, K) also seeing action out of the bullpen.

 

WWU's six doubles, including two each by Fesenbek and Wales, entered the program record books tied for 3^rd-most in a game in program history. 

 

CWU starting pitcher Isabel Womack (1-1) was saddled with the loss allowing 12 hit and 13 runs (10 ER) in 4.0 innings. Harlee Carpenter completed a 4-for-5 day at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

 

 

The Vikings won the series over the Wildcats 3-1 to improve to 6-2 on the season. Here are some notable statistical performances and notes from the four-game series:

 

• Out-scored CWU 44-15, including 34-5 on Sunday.
• Out-hit the Wildcats 49-22 in the series, combining for 16 extra-base hits (.576 SLG, .473 OBP).
• Defense played error-free Sunday (46 chances) and overall had a .943 fielding pct. in the series (6 E).
• Rylie Wales – .583 (7-for-12), 4 R, 3 2B, HR, 3 BB, 8 RBI (1.083 SLG, .667 OBP).
• Lauren Lo – .583 (7-for-12), 5 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB (batting .522 on the season, 12-for-23).
• Tatum Dow – .500 (6-for-12, 5 R, 2B, HR, 8 RBI (batting .500 on the season, 13-for-26).
• Anna Kasner – 1-1, 3.28 ERA, 2 GS, 13 K, 10.2 IP (also 3-for-7, 4 R at the plate). 

 

WWU returns home next weekend to host Saint Martin's University in a four-game series at Viking Field. The non-conference games vs. the Saints are scheduled to start at noon on Saturday and Sunday on the WWU campus. 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.

 

Senior Anna Kasner recorded seven strikeouts in the first game, moving her career total to 432 to tie for 7^th-most in GNAC history. She is also 3^rd in WWU history, now six strikeouts short of the No. 2 spot. In four starts this season (23.2 IP), Kasner has recorded 34 strikeouts (10.1 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.