SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Western Washington University softball team improved to 5-0 on the season with a 7-3 victory over Dominican University on Thursday to open play in the North Bay Challenge.

WWU continued its strong offensive performance to open the season recording 14 hits, the fourth game with double-digit hits this season. Through five games Western is batting .335 (55-for-164) as a team with 32 runs scored.

Junior transfer Emma Andrewjeski got the Vikings scoring started with a three-run home run in the top of the 1st inning, a tape-measure blast to center field for her second home run of the season.

Senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson tallied her fourth multi-hit game of the season while extending her hitting streak to all five games going 3-for-4 with a double. Freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews (2-for-4, 2B), sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath (2-for-4, 2 R) and senior catcher Emily Paulson (2-for-4, 2B) also tabbed multi-hit games.

Junior starting pitcher Joie Baker was limited to 2.0 innings in the circle allowing three hits and one run. With four games over the next two days, the right-hander will get plenty of work at the North Bay Challenge. Freshman reliever Kaiana Kong made her collegiate debut and earned the win allowing eight hits and two runs in 5.0 innings with three strikeouts and no walks allowed.

After the big first-inning homer by Andrewjeski, the Penguins climbed back into the game with single tallies in the 2nd and 3rd innings to make it a one-run game. Clinging to a 3-2 lead the Vikings added three runs in the top of the 5th inning to grow the lead to 6-2. Jacobson provided the big hit with a double to right field that plated a pair of runs.

With the extra insurance runs behind her, Kong allowed only one run over the final three innings to secure the victory. 

The Vikings (5-0) continue play in the North Bay Challenge Friday with a pair of games at two different locations. WWU taking on Sonoma State at 10 am in Santa Rosa and returning to Penguin Field in San Rafael for a 3 pm game vs. Cal State Monterey Bay. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.

WWU improved to 5-0 all-time vs. Dominican with the 7-3 victory while playing at a non-neutral site vs. the Penguins for the first time. The Vikings defeated DUC 2-0 last season at the CUI Kickoff Classic and previously 13-1 in 2019 at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock.

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