IRVINE, Calif. – The Western Washington University softball team was shut out for just the second time this season, falling to the University of Hawai'i Hilo 3-0 Wednesday in the opening game of the 2021 NCAA Division II Softball Championships West Regional.

The No. 4 seed Vikings out-hit the No. 5 seed Vulcans 8-6, but were limited to 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position to snap a season-high-tying four-game winning streak. WWU is making its fifth NCAA Championships appearance after winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships to earn the automatic bid to the West Regional.

The Vikings (23-13) will now play Central Washington in an elimination game of the NCAA II championships tonight. CWU was defeated by Northwest Nazarene 2-1 setting up the contest between the two Great Northwest Athletic Conference schools.

The Vulcans would score all the runs they would need in the top of the 1^st inning when center fielder Vevesi Liilii hit a 2-run home run with one out to left-center field. 

UHH added an insurance run in the top of the 3^rd inning to chase starting pitcher Anna Kasner from the game. 

WWU right-hander Kira Doan tossed 5.0 scoreless innings of relief, scattering two hits, walking a pair and strikeout out four. Kasner dropped to 13-4 on the season allowing four hits and three runs (2 ER) in 2.0+ innings.

UHH starter Valerie Alvarado (6-4) allowed a hit in each inning, but kept the Vikings off the board by holding the Vikings to 2-for-17 with runners on base.

Western had early scoring opportunities with leadoff doubles in the 2^nd (Kasner) and 4^th (Lo) innings, but couldn't push a run across. WWU brought the potential game-tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 7^th inning, but leading hitter Tatum Dow grounded out to second base to end the game. WWU left eight runners on base in the loss.

Junior center fielder Lauren Lo went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and senior right fielder Mackenzie Palmer was 2-for-3 with a walk to lead the Vikings at the plate.

Catcher Markie Okamoto (2-for-3) and first baseman Skylar Thomas (2-for-3) each recorded a multi-hit game for UHH.

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 is in its 29^th season in 2021, with the Vikings posting a winning record 18 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 now made five trips to the NCAA Division II Regional Championships. Over the last six seasons (since 2014), the Vikings are 195-146 and have won two of the last four GNAC Tournament titles (2017 & 2019). 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 and a 60-43 overall record (.583).