YAKIMA, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team continued its last-season surge completing a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings Sunday afternoon with a pair of wins at Kiwanis Park.

 

WWU defeated MSUB 2-0 in the opening a game and capped the four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series sweep with a 4-3 win in the nightcap to improve to 23-20 overall and 12-10 in conference play. With two regular-season games remaining, the Vikings greatly improved their chances of a postseason berth in the four-team GNAC Championships, remaining in 4th place in the standings. WWU extended its winning streak to a season-high five consecutive games.

 

The Vikings and Yellowjackets moved the four-game series to Yakima to ensure the games were played due to extended rain in the forecast in Bellingham. With the shift in the series, WWU also held Senior Day on the road with the five-player senior class of Brooke Fesenbek, Rachel Christensen, Mareena Ramirez, Kinzey Williams and Mikayla Liljenberg honored prior to the game.

 

Ramirez was once again lights out in the circle, recording a complete-game shutout to improve to 15-6 on the season. In two starts in the series, Ramirez did not allow an earned run in 14.0 innings, allowing just seven hits and striking out 12. Sophomore Joie Baker earned the win in the second game to complete a 2-0 weekend scattering eight hits and three runs in 7.0 innings.

 

Freshman Hailey Rath provided the hitting heroics throughout the day combining to go 4-for-7 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Rath drove home the game-winning run in the bottom of the 6th inning in the second game to break a 4-3 tie. Fesenbek went 3-for-7 with one RBI and Williams was 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the second game.

 

The Vikings (23-20, 12-10 GNAC) are scheduled to complete the 2023 regular season Wednesday with a doubleheader at Saint Martin's beginning at noon. The games were rescheduled after last Sunday's doubleheader was washed out due to rain. The field for the four-team GNAC Championships tournament will be finalized next week as the regular season concludes.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Vikings opened the day with a 2-0 shutout victory to clinch the series victory, riding a complete-game effort from senior starting pitcher Mareena Ramirez. 

 

Ramirez improved to 15-6 on the season to tie for the 7th-most wins in a single season in program history. The right-hander allowed just three hits while striking out four and walking just one in the 87-pitch complete-game.

 

WWU jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd inning when freshman shortstop Hailey Rath had a hard-hit ball that was misplayed by the MSUB second baseman to score McKenna Crum from second base.

 

Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Ramirez wiggled out of a jam in the top of the 5th inning to keep the Yellowjackets off the scoreboard. MSUB put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out, but Ramirez got back-to-back pop outs to keep the Vikings ahead 1-0.

 

Rath came up clutch again in the bottom of the 6th inning, this time using her legs to add an insurance run. The freshman drilled a single to right field that scooted by the MSUB fielder all the way to the fence, and Rath never stopped running to score on the play to make it 2-0.

 

After allowing back-to-back singles to open the 5th inning, Ramirez not only got out of that jam, but retired the last eight batters she faced to secure the 2-0 victory.

 

 

 

Western secured the four-game series sweep and earned its ninth consecutive win over the Yellowjackets with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

 

The Vikings built a 3-0 lead to break open a scoreless game with a trio of two-out runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.

 

Freshman Hailey Rath got the scoring started with an RBI double to the left field gap to score senior second baseman Mikayla Liljenberg. Senior Brooke Fesenbek followed with an RBI infield single, with an addition run scoring due to a throwing error on the play.

 

MSUB snapped its string of 14-inning scoreless streak with three runs in the top of the 6th inning even the score 3-3. Second baseman Kilee Imada and catcher Maycen O'Neal both tabbed run-scoring singles and the tying run crossed the plate on a fielder's choice.

 

WWU pushed the winning run across the plate in the bottom of the 6th inning. Senior Kinzey Williams led off with a single and moved into scoring position on a groundout Isabel Cargill. Rath followed with a single up the middle to score the speedy Williams from second base for the go-ahead run.

 

Sophomore starting pitcher Joie Baker worked around a leadoff walk in the top of the 7th inning to shut the door on the victory to improve to 5-4 on the season. Baker induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to cap a perfect weekend of baseball for the Vikings. 

 

 

WWU (23-20,12-10 GNAC) will wrap up the regular season Wednesday with a conference doubleheader at Saint Martin's in Lacey, with first pitch scheduled for 1 pm at Saints Field. 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2023 season:

 

 

Here is a look at the updated GNAC standings through games played on Sunday, with WWU remains in 4th place with two conference games remaining. The top four teams in the standings at the completion of the regular season advance to play in the GNAC Championships May 4-6 in Burnaby, B.C.