BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team dropped a pair of one-run games Friday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Viking Field.

 

WWU lost the first game 2-1 on a late home run by CWU and couldn't overcome a late Wildcat rally in a 3-2 defeat in the nightcap. 

 

The Vikings dropped to third place in the conference standings at 9-5 and are now 23-18 overall. CWU improved to 18-20 overall and evented its GNAC record at 9-9.

 

Western's pitching limited the Wildcats to 13 hits and five runs on the day, but CWU's pitching was equally impressive holding the Vikings to 12-for-54 (.222) at the plate. WWU was 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.

 

Senior first baseman Dakota Brooks combined to go 3-for-7 in the doubleheader and hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season. Senior second baseman Chantelle Shimabukuro went 3-for-3 with a walk in the first game to extend her hitting streak to 19 games, but went 0-for-2 with a walk in the second game to fall one short of the school-record 20-game hit streak set by Tatum Dow earlier this season. Shimabukuro extended her on-base streak to 28 games, the 2nd-longest in program history, with a walk in the second game.

 

The Vikings (23-18, 9-5 GNAC) concludes its four-game GNAC series vs. Central Washington on Saturday with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled to start at noon at Viking Field. Fans are permitted at all WWU home games for the 2022 season with no admission fee and free parking in the C lots. A live webcast and statistical updates are also provided at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

 

The Vikings out-hit the Wildcats 9-6 and again played flawless defense, but a late home run by catcher Alyssa Benthagen in the top of the 6th inning proved to be the difference in the 2-1 CWU victory.

 

WWU took the early lead in the bottom of the 1st inning with three consecutive two-out singles. Dakota Brooks got the rally started with a single to center field, moved into scoring position on a single by Chantelle Shimabukuro and scored on a base hit to left field by Macy Tarbox.

 

CWU pulled even in the top of the 4th inning on a two-out single up the middle by right fielder Jillian Hampson and pulled ahead on a leadoff homer by Benthagen in the 6th inning.

 

The Vikings put the tying run on third base in the bottom of the 7th inning after a two-out double by Brooks, but Tarbox flew out to left field to end the game. 

 

Shimabukuro went 3-for-3 with an intentional walk to extend her hitting streak to 19 consecutive games and her on-base streak to 27 straight for the 2nd-longest streak in program history. Brooks added a pair of hits with her 12th double of the season. Western finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.

 

Six different Wildcats recorded a hit and Rhaney Harris earned the complete-game win allowing nine hits and one run in 7.0 innings to improve to 0-7 on the season.

 

WWU starter Sydney Brown scattered six hits and struck out nine in 6.0 innings, but was saddled with the loss to fall to 7-3 on the season. Joie Baker threw a scoreless inning in relief with two strikeouts.

 

 

 

The Vikings got off to a quick start with a two-run home run by Dakota Brooks in the bottom of the 1st inning, but Central Washington again used a late comeback to record a one-run victory over the Vikings, 3-2.

 

Following the homer by Brooks – a line drive just inside the foul pole down the left field line – CWU starter Isabel Womack retired 14 consecutive batters until pinch-hitter Kinzey Williams led off the 6th inning with a pinch-hit single. Williams was stranded in scoring position to end the inning.

 

WWU starter Kira Doan did not allow a run in the first five innings, but Alyssa Benthagen tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the 6th inning. The homer was Benthagen's second of the day and ninth of the season. 

 

CWU pushed the go-ahead run across the plate in the top of the 7th inning on a two-out double to the left field gap by first baseman Brooks Jordan. Allie Thiessen reached with two outs in the inning on a fielding error, and pinch runner Riana Abeshima scored for first on the double by Jordan.

 

The Vikings put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the 7th inning on a two-out walk by Kanilehua Pitoy and a single by Ellie Jespersen, but senior Rylie Wales struck out looking to end the contest. 

 

Doan (8-7) took the loss allowing three runs (2 ER) in the complete-game effort, recording four strikeouts and a pair of walks. 

 

Womack improved to 7-6 on the season with the complete-game three-hitter, striking out seven and walking a pair.

 

 

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings following play on Friday (with one game still being played) with the Vikings now in third place in the conference standings behind Saint Martin's and Northwest Nazarene:

 

 

WWU is 41 games into the 2022 season marking the most games since the 2019 season (22 in 2020, 37 in 2021) due to the pandemic. Following Saturday's doubleheader vs. CWU, the Vikings travel to play Western Oregon in Monmouth (April 23-24) and close out the regular season with a four-game home series vs. Saint Martin's April 30-May 1). The top four teams in the GNAC standings following the regular season will advance to play in the GNAC Championships May 5-7 in Lacey on the Saint Martin's campus.