TURLOCK, Calif. – The Western Washington University softball team closed out play at the 20th Annual Tournament of Champions with a 4-3 loss to Cal State San Bernardino Sunday at the Pedretti Sports Complex.
WWU allowed four runs in the top of the 1st inning but battled back to pull to within one run. The Vikings were unable to complete the comeback dropping the one-run decision to the Coyotes to complete the TOC with a 3-2 record to wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule.
After spotting CSUSB four runs in the first inning – all coming with two outs off starter Joie Baker (2-2) – the Vikings did not allow a run the remainder of the way. Relief pitcher Mareena Ramirez struck out nine and allowed just three hits in 6.1 scoreless innings to keep the Vikings in the contest.
The Vikings got a pair of runs in the bottom of the 1st inning with three doubles in the frame. Kanilehua Pitoy doubled down the left field line with one out and back-to-back doubles by Brooke Fesenbek and Isabella Bay plated runs to cut the deficit in half.
WWU pulled to within one run in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Pitoy hit her second double of the game and scored on an error by the CSUSB shortstop.
CSUSB starting pitcher Samantha Vargas faced the minimum over the last four innings to secure the win improving to 14-9 on the season. The Vikings put the tying run on base in the bottom of the 7th inning on a one-out single by Isabel Cargill, but a double play by the Coyotes ended the game for the 4-3 victory.
Pitoy finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored and Bay went 2-for-3 for her third multi-hit game of the season.
The Vikings (17-16, 6-6 GNAC) return to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play April 7-8 with a four-game series at Northwest Nazarene. WWU is currently tied for fourth place in the GNAC standings with 12 games remaining in the conference schedule. The top four teams in the standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the GNAC Championships held May 4-6 in Burnaby, B.C.
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CSUSB 4, WWU 3 (April 2, 2023 at Turlock, CA)
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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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R
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H
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E
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LOB
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Record
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Cal St. San Bernardino
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4
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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-
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4
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6
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1
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5
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21-16
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Western Washington
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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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0
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0
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-
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3
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6
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0
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2
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17-16
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CSUSB – Vargas and Garza
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WWU – Baker, Ramirez and Paulson
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Win: Vargas (14-9) Save: None Loss: Baker (2-2)
WWU HR: None CSUSB HR: None
Time of Game: 2:02 Att: 32
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Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2023 season:
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RECORD BREAKDOWN
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Overall
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17-16
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GNAC
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6-6
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Non-Conference
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11-10
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Streak
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L1
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Home
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6-3
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Viking Field
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5-3
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Away
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4-9
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Neutral
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7-4
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vs. Ranked Teams
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1-2
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1-Run Games
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7-6
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2-Run Games
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2-3
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Extra Innings
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3-2
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Shutouts
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4-5
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BY UNIFORM
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Black
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7-2
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Blue/White
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4-4
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Navy
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3-3
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Gray
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2-6
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White/Navy
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1-1
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The 2023 Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock, features 22 of the 26 West Region programs in a three-day tournament hosted by Stanislaus State University. WWU has competed in all 20 versions of the Tournament of Champions and has an all-time 66-56 record in the tournament with a 3-2 final record in this year's tournament.
