TUCSON, Ariz. – The Western Washington University softball team held a 2-1 lead after its at-bat in the 5th inning, but MSU Denver scored five runs in the bottom half of the inning to defeat the Vikings 6-2 Sunday in the final game of the Desert Stinger at Lincoln Park.
WWU matched MSUD with 10 hits, but the five-run 5th inning probed to be too much to overcome to drop the Vikings to 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the trip to Tucson.
Senior All-American shortstop Tatum Dow continues to shine for the Vikings, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBI on Sunday and finished the five-game tournament batting .625 (10-for-16) with four runs scored, three doubles, one home run and four RBI.
WWU went ahead 1-0 in the top of the 3rd inning on a solo home run by Dow to left-center field for her first longball of the season and eighth of her career.
After the Roadrunners tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd, Dow put the Vikings back ahead with a one-out double down the left field line.
MSUD (6-3) forged ahead with the five-run bottom of the 5th inning with the key hit a two-run triple by leadoff hitter Katie Maney.
WWU freshman starter Joie Baker (2-4) was saddled with the loss allowing 10 hits and six runs (5 ER) in 4.2 innings. Senior Kira Doan retired all four batters she faced in relief to close out the game.
In addition to the 2-for-4 performance by Dow, senior center fielder Lauren Lo (2-for-4) and sophomore right fielder Taylor Khorrami (2-for-3, R) recorded multi-hit games.
Roadrunners relief pitcher Sarah Norton (3-1) was credited with the win scattering four hits in 2.2 innings of relief work.
WWU returns to action next Saturday hosting the University of Puget Sound in a non-conference doubleheader with an 11 am first pitch scheduled at Viking Field.
|
MSU Denver 6, WWU 2 (February 13, 2022 at Tucson, AZ)
|
|
Score by Innings
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
-
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
LOB
|
Record
|
|
Western Washington
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
2
|
10
|
2
|
10
|
2-8
|
|
MSU Denver
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
x
|
-
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
3
|
6-3
|
|
WWU – Baker, Doan (5) and Christensen
|
|
MSUD – Lopez, Norton (5) and Leins
|
|
Win: Norton (3-1) Save: None Loss: Baker (2-4)
WWU HR: Dow (1) MSUD HR: None
Time of Game: 1:57 Att: 100
|
The Vikings (2-8) host the University of Puget Sound next Saturday (2/19) in the 2022 home opener at Viking Field in Bellingham. First pitch of the doubleheader against UPS is scheduled to start at 11 am. The full 2022 WWU Softball season schedule, complete with links on how to follow the games online, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/22_SB.
