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LACEY, Wash. – The No. 16 nationally-ranked Western Washington University softball team continued its historic start to the 2024 season recording a doubleheader sweep over Saint Martin's University Friday afternoon to improve to a perfect 13-0 on the season.

 

In games that are not counted against the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, WWU defeated SMU 9-0 in a run-rule-shortened five innings in the opener and remained perfect with a 3-2 extra-inning victory in eight innings in the nightcap. 

 

WWU has established both a program and GNAC record for the best unbeaten start to a season. The Vikings 13-game winning streak is also now tied for the longest in program history with the 2001 team.

 

The Vikings continued their perfect start to the season with a combination of timely hitting, dominating pitching and solid defense to sweep the Saints on their home field. 

 

Junior Joie Baker fired a 2-hit shutout in the opener and freshmen Alli Kimball (4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R) and Kaiana Kong (4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K) combined on another gem in the second game.

 

Senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson was the hitting hero for the Vikings blasting a home run in each game and combined to go 4-for-6 with four runs scored in the doubleheader.

 

The Vikings remain in Lacey to play Western Oregon University in a single game Saturday starting at 11 am at Saints Field.

 

 

WWU defeated SMU 9-0 in five innings to open Friday's doubleheader at Saints Field.

 

The Vikings got off to a quick start with three runs in the top of the 2nd inning, fueled by a leadoff home run blasted by senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson to deep left field.

 

After the three-run 2nd inning, the Vikings poured on two more in the 3rd on RBI singles by Riley Anderson and Laila Carpenter, and then put the run rule into effect in the 4th inning scoring four more runs.

 

The offensive outburst backed up another gem by junior starting pitcher Joie Baker who limited Saint Martin's two a pair of hits in the 5-inning shutout performance.

 

Jacobson went 3-for-3 finishing a triple short of the cycle and Anderson went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews went 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot to extend her hitting streak to 10 consecutive games. 

 

 

 

The Vikings again used the longball in the 3-2 extra-inning victory over Saint Martin's to record the doubleheader sweep, with Hailey Rath and Ashley Jacobson each clearing the fences at Saints Field.

 

In stark contrast to the first-game blowout, WWU was locked in a tight battle with the Saints eventually needing extra innings to keep the unbeaten start alive.

 

Both teams scored single runs in the 4th and 6th innings, with Rath homering in the 4th and Jacobson in the 6th. SMU pushed across the game-tying run in the 6th on a controversial play at the plate where the umpire rule that senior catcher Emily Paulson did not have her foot on the plate on a force out.

 

But Western's freshmen pitching phenoms helped keep the game close with starter Alli Kimball allowing one run in 4.0 innings and Kaiana Kong allowing one unearned run over the final 4.0 innings. Kong had her string of consecutive scoreless innings snapped at 17.1 innings by allowing an unearned run in the 6th inning, but was strong the rest of the way to improve to 6-0 on the season.

 

Junior second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy went 2-for-4 and had the game-winning RBI with a one-out single in the top of the 8th inning. 

 

 

The Vikings (13-0, 0-0 GNAC) are back in action tomorrow with a single game vs. Western Oregon set to begin at 11 am at Saints Field in Lacey. WWU and WOU was scheduled to play a doubleheader, but rain in the forecast for Sunday pushed the WOU and SMU doubleheader to a single game Saturday after WWU's game. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.

 

The 13-0 start is officially the best undefeated start in the 32-year history of the program, and also the best winning streak by a GNAC program to start a season. WWU passed the 12-0 perfect start by the 2011 team that finished 36-16 to earn a spot in the NCAA II West Regional Championships. The 13-game winning streak also matched the program record set in 2001.

 

 

In addition to setting the program record for best unbeaten start to a season, WWU's 13-0 record to open the 2024 season has also established a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record. WWU bettered its own conference mark shared with Humboldt State (2005) for the best unbeaten start in conference history. The 13-0 start to this season is only the seventh instance in the GNAC where a team has opened at least 5-0 or better.

 

The Vikings hit three more home runs Friday, and now have hit 13 in 13 games this season. WWU hit only 10 home runs in all 49 games last season. Senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson and junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski are tied for the team lead with four homers each, and junior Riley Anderson has hit three homers. 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2024 season: