TURLOCK, Calif. – The Western Washington University softball team split a pair of games Friday to open the 19th Tournament of Champions at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

The Vikings opened the day with a 4-1 win over Cal Poly Humboldt to extend their winning streak to seven consecutive games, but were out-dueled in the nightcap by one of the nation's top pitchers in a 1-0 loss to Biola.

WWU moved to 18-14 on the season with 13 wins in its last 16 games. The Vikings have three more games in the Tournament of Champions, facing Sonoma State and Holy Names Saturday and Academy of Art on Sunday.

Senior second baseman Chantelle Shimabukuro continued her torrid streak at the plate going 4-for-6 with a double and three RBI combined to extend her hitting streak to 11 consecutive games. During the current hitting streak Shimabukuro is batting .562 (18-for-32) with nine runs scored and 12 RBI. Seniors Tatum Dow (3-for-7, 2B) and Dakota Brooks (3-for-5, 2B) each recorded three hits on the day.

Western's pitching again were a key factor to the solid performance on the diamond with Sydney Brown (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 10 SO) earning the win vs. Humboldt and Kira Doan (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) matching Biola ace Paige Austin in the nightcap. Doan tallied her 200th career strikeout in her complete-game performance to become the 11th pitcher in the 30-year history of WWU softball to reach that career milestone.

The Vikings (18-14) return to Tournament of Champions action Saturday with games against Sonoma State (2 pm) and Holy Names (7 pm), followed by one game Sunday vs. Academy of Art (11:30 am). Follow all the action with a free webcast and live statistical updates at wwuvikings.com/Live.

WWU defeated Cal Poly Humboldt 4-1 in the Friday's first game to open the Vikings five-game trip to the Tournament of Champions.

The Vikings outhit the Lumberjacks 10-5 and were perfect in the field to lock up their seventh consecutive win.

WWU starter Sydney Brown earned the win (6-2) in another impressive complete-game performance. Brown, coming off a dominant three-game stretch, wove another gem. She pitched the full 7.0 while allowing a single run off five hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters. Brown has allowed just three runs in her last four starts (27.0 IP) and has fanned 31 batters in that stretch.

WWU's offense was spearheaded by senior Chantelle Shimabukuro, who went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Tatum Dow delivered the Vikings run in a 2-for-4 performance that included a double.

Cal Poly Humboldt starter senior Karen Di Dio was pinned with the loss (6-11) in a complete-game effort allowing four runs on 10 hits.

The Vikings Bats got going early with Dow delivering a leadoff double in the 1st inning and would later come around to score on a single from Shimabukuro to stake WWU to the early 1-0 lead.

Humboldt would knot it up at 1-1 in the 3rd inning when sophomore Vanessa Saltos hit an RBI single of her own.

Shimabukuro came up with a clutch two-run double in the bottom of the 5th inning to break the tie giving the Vikings the 3-1 lead.

Western would add an insurance run in the 6th inning on a run-scoring single from Dow and Brown sealed the victory with a 1-2-3 7th inning to secure a 4-1 win.

The Vikings were held off the scoreboard in a 1-0 loss to Biola in the second game on Friday.

WWU got to Biola ace Paige Austin (11-3) putting a pair of runners on base in the top of the 1st inning on a double by Dakota Brooks and single by Chantelle Shimabukuro, but that was the closet they would get to scoring in the game.

Viking senior Kira Doan match Austin until the Eagles scored the only run they would need in the bottom of the 5th inning. Doan was saddled with the tough-luck loss to fall to 6-5 on the season allowing six hits and one run in the complete-game effort.

Biola improved to 20-13 overall with its seventh win in the last eight games. The Eagles were the 2021 NCAA Division II National Runner-Ups. Austin improved to 11-3 on the season lowering her ERA to 0.73.