BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Fueled by a go-ahead home run by freshman Hailey Rath and a pitching gem from sophomore Joie Baker, the Western Washington University softball team earned a doubleheader and series split against Western Oregon University on Monday at Viking Field.

WWU went 2-2 during the Great Northwest Athletic Conference series vs. the Wolves and are 14-14 overall and 6-6 in conference play.

The Vikings dropped the opening game to WOU 10-0 in six innings, but bounced back with a 3-2 win in the nightcap. Rath led off the bottom of the 6th inning with her fifth homer of the season to break a 2-2 tie en route to the one-run victory.

Baker recorded her first win of the season in her second start after coming back early from offseason knee surgery. The sophomore struck out six, walked one and allowed just two runs in the 7.0-inning complete game. In two starts in the series, Baker allowed just four runs in 12.0 innings (2.33 ERA).

Western Oregon improved to 7-3 in GNAC play after going 2-2 in the series vs. the Vikings and is 15-16 overall.

WWU (14-14, 6-6 GNAC) return to the road this weekend with five games in the 2023 Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock. The Vikings will open the tournament with a pair of games Friday taking on Academy of Art (11:30 am) and No. 13 Sonoma State (7 pm). 

SB🥎 | Watch the go-ahead home run by freshman Hailey Rath to lead off the bottom of the 6th inning in the 3-2 @WWU_Softball victory over Western Oregon Monday at Viking Field. This was Rath's first Viking Field HR and 5th of the season.

🎙 : Adam Race/Vikings TV pic.twitter.com/DfUTsEIZiM
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) March 28, 2023

Western Oregon opened the doubleheader with a 10-0 win in six innings, invoking the eight-run rule.

The Wolves pushed a run across in the top of the 1st inning, and added three runs in the 4th, two in the 5th and four in the 6th inning. WOU out-hit WWU 15-4 with Maddie Mayer recording the complete-game shutout to improve to 8-7 on the season.

The Vikings four hits were spread across four players with Lexi Barcomb extending her hitting streak to a career-high six consecutive games.

Starting pitcher Mareena Ramirez (10-4) was saddled with the loss allowing seven hits and four runs in 4.0 innings. Reliever Hanako Hirai was touched for eight hits and six runs (3 ER) in 2.0 innings.

The Vikings secured the doubleheader and series split with a 3-2 victory in the second game, building a 2-0 lead and then scoring the go-ahead run on a home run by freshman Hailey Rath to lead off the bottom of the 6th inning.

With starting pitchers Joie Baker and Erica Soliz locked in a scoreless game through the first three innings, WWU broke through in the 4th inning with a pair of runs.

The first run crossed the plate on a WOU throwing error and junior right fielder Isabel Cargill plated the second run with a single to center field.

The Wolves tied the game with single runs in the 5th and 6th innings off Baker, who was making her second start of the season after coming back early from offseason knee surgery. 

With the score tied 2-2, Rath led off the bottom of the 6th inning with a line drive home run over the left-center field fence on a 1-1 pitch for her first Viking Field homer and fifth round-tripper of the season. 

Baker secured the complete-game victory striking out Katelyn McGough looking to end the contest.

Rath finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Baker improved to 1-0 on the season allowing seven hits and two runs in 7.0 innings, striking out six and walking one. 

WOU relief pitcher Chelsea Smith (6-6) took the loss allowing one run in 2.2 innings. Starter Erica Soliz allowed one earned run and four hits in 3.1 innings. Catcher Chelby Smalley (2-for-4, RBI) and third baseman Isabelle Lewis (2-for-3, 2 2B) each recorded multi-hit games for the Wolves.

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 31st season in 2023. 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 19 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 nine-season span from 2014-2022, the Vikings have combined to go 224-172 and won a pair of GNAC Tournament titles (2017 & 2021).