LACEY, Wash. – With a doubleheader split Wednesday at Saint Martin's in the final regular-season games of the season, the Western Washington University softball team punched its ticket to the postseason qualifying for the GNAC Championships.

 

WWU extended its late-season winning streak to six consecutive games defeating SMU 2-0 in the opening game at Saints Field, reaching the 13-win mark to guarantee a spot in the four-team GNAC Championships that will be held May 4-6 in Burnaby, British Columbia. The Vikings have now advanced to three consecutive GNAC Championships, including winning the title in 2021.

 

The Vikings dropped the nightcap 5-2 to finish the regular season with an overall record of 24-21 and 13-11 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

 

Senior pitcher Mareena Ramirez recorded her second consecutive shutout with a 3-hitter in the opener to seal the Vikings postseason qualification. Freshman shortstop Hailey Rath and junior catcher Emily Paulson each drove in runs in the 2-0 victory.

 

Over her last three starts, Ramirez is 3-0 while not allowing an earned run over the last 21.0 innings. For the season the right-hander completed the regular season 16-6 with a 1.87 ERA (42 ER, 157.1 IP) and 162 strikeouts.

 

In the nightcap, Saint Martin's built a 5-1 lead, but the Vikings scored a run in the top of the 7th and brought the tying run to the plate before falling 5-2.

 

A host of Vikings tabbed multi-hit performances on the trip down I-5 to Lacey, with Paulson and Lexi Barcomb each going 2-for-4, Kinzey Williams 3-for-8, and Kanilehua Pitoy, Rath, Amaya Davis and Isabel Cargill each recording two hits.

 

The Vikings (24-21, 13-11 GNAC) will now wait until the rest of the GNAC completes the regular season Sunday to find out their seed for the four-team GNAC Championships that will be held May 4-6 in Burnaby, B.C. The Vikings have advanced to play in each of the last three GNAC Championships, including winning 2021 tournament.

 

 

In a battle of the two of the top pitchers in conference, WWU senior Mareena Ramirez out-dueled Saint Martin's lefty Tia Ridings with another complete-game three-hit shutout.

 

Freshman shortstop Hailey Rath (bases loaded walk) and junior catcher Emily Paulson (RBI double) plated the runs for WWU in the 5th and 6th innings.

 

After allowing a leadoff hit in the bottom of the 4th inning, Ramirez dominated the remainder of the way retiring the final 11 batters she faced to improve to 16-6 on the season. The reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Week has now tossed consecutive shutouts, with Wednesday's outing featuring six strikeouts and just one walk.

 

Junior right fielder Isabel Cargill continued her torrid stretch at the plate going 2-for-4 to extend her hitting streak to six consecutive games. Sophomore third baseman Amaya Davis added a pair of hits as the Vikings out-hit the Saints 8-3.

 

Ridings allowed two runs (1 ER) in 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits to take the loss falling to 13-4 on the season. The Saints were held to three singles and had only one runner move into scoring position in the game.

 

 

 

The Vikings went ahead 1-0 in the top of the 2nd innings on a run-scoring single by Kinzey Williams, but Saint Martin's scored five unanswered runs to build a 5-1 lead.

 

The Saints scored a run in the 2nd to pull even, two runs off starter Joie Baker in the bottom of the 3rd and one more in the bottom of the 4th inning. A single run in the 6th off reliever Alexis Slater increased the lead to 5-1.

 

WWU pushed a run across in the top of the 7th inning on a single by Hailey Rath and brought the game-tying run to the plate. But Saints relief pitcher Chloe Leverington tallied her league-leading 11th save getting six consecutive swing-and-misses to end the game.

 

Baker (5-5) allowed three hits and three runs in 3.0 innings, battling control issues with four walks.

 

WWU out-hit SMU 9-8, led by leadoff hitter Kinzey Williams going 3-for-4 with one RBI and left fielder Lexi Barcomb went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. 

 

Saints starter Abby Runyon (9-3) earned the win allowing one run on six hits in 5.1 innings. Leverington fanned three over the final 1.2 innings. First baseman Olivia Matlock went 2-for-4 and catcher Rylee Gaudia was 2-for-3 with a key two-run double in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

 

 

WWU (24-21,13-11 GNAC) has concluded the regular season and will wait until the conclusion of games Sunday to find out its seed for the four-team GNAC Championships that will be held May 4-6 in Burnaby, B.C. Bookmark the GNAC Softball website to view all championship information, schedules, ticket info and live coverage.

 

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 solidifying one of four spots in the GNAC Championships that will be held May 4-6 in Burnaby, B.C.