ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team opened the postseason Thursday dropping a 6-5 contest to Saint Martin's University in nine innings at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.
The Vikings dropped to 29-23 overall and will now have to win four consecutive games to keep their postseason hopes alive. WWU had its six-game GNAC Championships winning streak snapped after sweeping through the four-team tournament in 2017 and 2021. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships as one of eight teams in the West Regional.
WWU will be in action in an elimination game at 10 am against No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Northwest Nazarene, who was upended 4-1 in Thursday's second game against No. 4 seed and tournament host Central Washington.
After the game was pushed back four hours due to a lengthy rain delay, WWU held a 4-3 lead through the first five innings in the opening game of the 2022 GNAC Tournament, but the Saints battled back to forge ahead 5-4 with a pair of runs in the 6th inning. Senior left fielder
Ryle Wales plated the game-tying run with one out in the 7th inning with a triple down the left field line to push the game into extra innings.
After both teams were held scoreless in the 8th inning, Saint Martin's pushed the winning run across the plate on a bases loaded walk by senior pitcher
Kira Doan with one out to Malia Pinder.
The Vikings out-hit the Saints 12-11 and tallied six extra-base hits, but were limited to 1-for-11 batting with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
WWU got off to a quick start in the game taking a 1-0 lead on a first-inning no-doubt home run by
Dakota Brooks, her team-leading eighth homer of the season. SMU answered with three runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, with a pair of runs scoring on a throwing error by starting pitcher
Sydney Brown.
The Vikings equalized in the top of the 2nd inning on a 2-run home run to center field by
Lauren Lo and took a 4-3 lead in the 4th inning on a run-scoring groundout by catcher
Rachel Christensen.
Before allowing the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the 6th inning,
Doan extended her scoreless innings streak to 16.0 innings. The senior right-hander was saddled with the loss falling to 13-8 on the season.
Wales and second baseman
Chantelle Shimabukuro both went 3-for-5 to lead the Vikings at the plate.
SMU freshman pitcher Chloe Leverington picked up her 13th win of the season scattering seven hits and three runs in 7.1 innings. Starter Tia Ridings recorded a no-decision allowing six hits and four runs (3 ER) in 3.2 innings. Pinder recorded three walks, including the game-winning walk with the bases loaded in the 9th inning. Shortstop Destiny Connerly went 3-for-4 with a double.
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SMU 6, WWU 5 (May 5, 2022 at Ellensburg, WA) – 9 innings
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Score by Innings
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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R
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H
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E
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Record
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Western Washington
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1
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2
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0
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1
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0
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0
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1
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0
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0
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5
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12
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1
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29-23
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Saint Martin's
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3
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0
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0
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0
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0
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2
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0
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0
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1
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6
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11
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1
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30-18
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WWU – Brown, Doan (2) and Christensen
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SMU – Ridings, Leverington (4) and Schultz
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Win: Leverington (13-3) Save: None Loss: Doan (13-8)
WWU HR: Brooks (8), Lo (2) SMU HR: None
Time of Game: 3:00 Att: 175
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UP NEXT FOR THE VIKINGS
The Vikings (29-23) play Friday morning in a elimination game at 10 am vs. No. 1 seed Northwest Nazarene, who dropped a 4-1 contest in Thursday's late game. No. 2 Saint Martin's and No. 4 Central Washington will play in the winners bracket game at 12:30 pm, followed by another elimination game at 3 pm. All games will be streamed live online via
GNAC.tv.
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKET
The four-team, double-elimination tournament moved from Lacey to Ellensburg due to heavy rain in the forecast. The late shift in venues also changed the game format, with three games originally schedule for Thursday, but rain pushed the schedule to only two games. Here is a look at the tournament schedule with all games streamed live online at
GNAC.tv.
Thursday, May 5:
Game 1: No. 2 Saint Martin's 6, No. 3 Western Washington 5 (9 inn.)
Game 2: No. 4 Central Washington 4, No. 1 Northwest Nazarene 1
Friday, May 6:
Game 3: Western Washington vs. Northwest Nazarene, 10 am (elimination game)
Game 4: Saint Martin's vs. Central Washington, 12:30 pm
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 3 pm (elimination game)
Saturday, May 7:
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, Noon
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary), 2:30 pm
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
WWU has won two of the last four GNAC Championship Tournaments (2017 & 2021) and are now 8-5 all-time in GNAC Championships play. The Vikings are making their fifth tournament appearance in 2022. The Vikings had their six-game GNAC Tournament winning streak snapped with the extra-inning loss to Saint Martin's. The Vikings also qualified for the conference tournament in 2014 and 2015, including playing in the championship game in 2015.
