BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University softball team continued its winnings ways completing a four-game road sweep over Montana State Billings with a pair of wins Sunday at Avitus Group Stadium.

 

The Vikings improved to 17-13 overall with their 12th win in the last 14 games and moved to the top of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with a 6-2 record in conference play. WWU is now tied with Saint Martin's for the conference lead.

 

WWU defeated MSUB by scores of 9-1 and 2-1 on Sunday, completing a tough four-game road series sweep over the Yellowjackets after wins by 4-0 and 8-5 on Saturday. In the four-game sweep over MSUB the Vikings combined to bat .350 (43-for-123) with seven home runs and the pitchers limited the Yellowjackets to only 17 hits and seven runs (6 ER) in the series.

 

On Sunday, senior second baseman Chantelle Shimabukuro combined to go 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and six RBI. Taylor Khorrami, Lauren Lo and Tatum Dow each recorded three hits on the day. In addition to the two homers by Shimabukuro, Rylie Wales and Dakota Brooks also left the yard in the first game of the doubleheader. 

 

WWU's pitchers completed a perfect 6-0 week with sophomore Sydney Brown and senior Kira Doan each recording complete-game victories. Brown went 3-0 during the week capped by a three-hitter in the opening game and Doan improved to 6-4 on the season with a four-hitter in the nightcap. 

 

"It was a really great all around effort this weekend and I'm really proud of our team," said WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore. "Our hitters made great adjustments, our pitchers threw like themselves and our defense continued to stay sharp through the first three games. Sydney (Brown) was lights out and Kira's (Doan) grit really kept us in that last game and gave us a chance to get the four-game sweep. We had contributions from so many different players this weekend and they all just had each other's backs and had fun."

 

The four-game road sweep was the first by the Vikings in GNAC play since 2017 when WWU defeated Northwest Nazarene in four consecutive games April 28-29. 

 

MSUB dropped to 10-20 on the season and 4-8 in GNAC play while playing its first four home games of the season.

 

WWU has won 12 of its last 14 games after opening the season 5-11 …  Dakota Brooks hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season, No. 14 of her career for 8th-most in program history … Rylie Wales hit her 26th career double to tie for 10th-most in WWU history … Lauren Lo reached the 150-hit plateau for her career in the first game Sunday to tie for 17th-most in WWU history … Tatum Dow has recorded a hit in 28 of 30 games this season … WWU hit a season-high three home runs in Sunday's first game … WWU has tied its season high with a six-game winning streak.

 

The Vikings (17-13, 6-2 GNAC) remain on the road next weekend closing out non-conference with five games in the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California April 1-3. WWU is scheduled to face West Region teams Cal Poly Humboldt, Biola, Sonoma State, Holy Names and Academy of Art. Follow all the action with a free webcast and live statistical updates at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

 

The Vikings opened the doubleheader with a 9-1 win in a run-rule-shortened six-inning contest.

 

WWU used the longball to clinch the series victory over the Yellowjackets, with Rylie Wales, Dakota Brooks and Chantelle Shimabukuro all leaving Avitus Group Stadium. 

 

Wales gave the Vikings an early 1-0 lead with her second homer of the season, a solo line drive blast over the left-center field fence in the top of the 2nd inning.

 

MSUB slugger Brittenee Fisher hit her eighth homer of the season (No. 39 of career) to tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd inning in what turned out to be the only blemish for WWU sophomore starter Sydney Brown. 

 

The Vikings quickly forged back ahead in the 3rd inning on a two-run home run by Brooks and added three more in the 5th inning on a three-run blast to center field by Shimabukuro. Western tacked on three insurance runs to end the game an inning early in the 6th with Lauren Lo and Brooks tabbing run-scoring singles.

 

Brown completed a 3-0 week in the circle with the complete-game three-hitter. She struck out eight and walked two to improve to 5-2 on the season. Brown fired a two-hitter in Saturday's first game victory and another three-hitter in Tuesday's win over Northwest.

 

WWU tagged MSUB pitching for 13 hits, including a season-high three home runs. Lo went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Shimabukuro was 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBI. Also checking in with multi-hit games were Brooks (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR), Wales (2-for-3, R, RBI, 2B, HR) and Taylor Khorrami (2-for-3, R).

 

MSUB starting pitcher Alyssa Etheridge (4-7) suffered the loss allowing nine hits and six runs in 4.1 innings. 

 

 

 

The Vikings completed the Sunday and weekend sweep with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap, led by a complete-game gem by senior starting pitcher Kira Doan and a pair of RBI by senior second baseman Chantelle Shimabukuro.

 

Doan improved to 6-4 on the season by allowing one unearned run in the complete-game effort, scattering four hits (all singles) to record her 22nd career victory tying for 12th-most in WWU history. Doan struck out six and walked a pair to help the Vikings complete the four-game sweep of the Yellowjackets. 

 

Shimabukuro completed a 5-for-6 day at the plate going 2-for-2 with a walk, plating the game-winning run with a two-out single in the first inning and hitting her second home run of the day in the top of the 4th inning.

 

Senior shortstop Tatum Dow also recorded a multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with her 10th double of the season.

 

MSUB starter Jenna Kister (1-5) went the distance allowing eight hits and two runs for the Yellowjackets. 

 

 

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings following weekend play in conference games:

 

 

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 30th season in 2022. WWU advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the fifth time in program history in 2021 after winning the GNAC Tournament. WWU has posted a winning record 18 times during the 30-year history of the program, which won the 1998 NAIA National Championship in only its sixth season to record the school's first ever team national title. During the eight-season span from 2014-2021, the Vikings combined to go 195-148 and won a pair of GNAC Tournament titles (2017 & 2019).