BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 11 nationally-ranked Western Washington University softball team opened Senior Weekend with a doubleheader split Friday against in-state rival Central Washington.

 

The Vikings fell short of a comeback win in the opening a game falling 3-2 to have the program-record 17-game winning streak snapped, but rebounded with an 8-0 victory in the nightcap via the 8-run rule in five innings.

 

WWU improved to 35-5 overall, moving one game closer reaching the program record of 36 wins in a season set in 2011, and remains in first place in the GNAC standings at 15-3. The Vikings officially punched its ticket to the postseason clinching one of the four spots for the GNAC Championships held May 2-4 at Viking Field in Bellingham.

 

Freshman Maleah Andrews went 3-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored, one home run and four RBI to extend her hitting streak to 14 consecutive games and junior right fielder McKenna Crum went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez hit her team-leading 13th home run and drew three walks.

 

The Vikings pitching combo of Alli Kimball (5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 SO) and Joie Baker (7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 SO) combined for another good day in the circle.

 

WWU wraps up the home portion of the regular-season schedule Saturday with a doubleheader against CWU with first pitch schedule for noon and Senior Day festivities set to begin at 11:40 am.
 

 

The Vikings officially clinched one of the four spots in the GNAC Softball Championships that will be held May 2-4 at Viking Field in Bellingham. WWU and NNU have both locked up spots in the postseason with the final two teams to be decided over the final two weeks of the season. More info on the GNAC Championships can be found online at GNACSports.com.

 

Central Washington starter Ashlee Laver held the Vikings in check at the plate with WWU falling 3-2 to have its historic 17-game winning streak come to a close.

 

CWU scored a pair of runs in the top of the 1st inning, with WWU starter Joie Baker battling early control problems with two walks and a pair of hit-by-pitch in the inning. Baker settled down after the opening inning, but the two-run cushion provided enough for the Wildcats to snap the Vikings winning streak.

 

Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez homered to lead off the bottom of the 2nd inning for her team-leading 13th home run of the season, second-most in WWU single-season history. 

 

CWU added an important insurance run in the top of the 5th inning on a single up the middle by center fielder Jillian Hampson.

 

Western rallied in the 7th inning cutting the deficit to one run on a run-scoring single by freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews. With the tying run in scoring position, junior left fielder Lexi Barcomb hit a liner down the third baseline that was snagged by CWU third baseman Serena Perez to record a force out to end the game.

 

Baker (11-2) allowed only one run over the final six innings, striking out seven in the complete-game effort.

 

Laver improved to 7-11 on the season scattering six hits and two runs in the complete-game victory.

 

Junior right fielder McKenna Crum went 2-for-3 to lead WWU at the plate.

 

 

 

WWU rebounded from the one-run loss in the opener to defeat CWU 8-0 in a game shortened by the 8-run rule after five innings.

 

The Vikings opened the game with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson and opened the flood gates with six runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Western sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and recorded six hits. Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath plated a pair with a double to center field and freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews had a two-run single to left-center field.

 

Andrews completed her 2-for-2 day at the plate (with a walk) hitting a towering home run to right-center field in the 3rd inning to put the Vikings up 8-0.

 

Freshman starting pitcher Alli Kimball earned the shutout victory improving to 13-2 on the season allowing two hits and striking out four (no walks).

 

CWU freshman starting pitcher Zoey Theophilus (3-5) suffered the loss allowing six hits and seven runs in 1.0-plus innings of work. Catcher Alyssa Benthagen recorded both of the Wildcats hits in the game.

 

 

The Vikings (35-5, 15-3 GNAC) closes out the four-game series vs. Central Washington on Saturday with the final regular-season home doubleheader of 2024. Saturday will be Senior Day for the Vikings with Taylor Khorrami, Emily Paulson, Hanako Hirai and Ashley Jacobson recognized in a pregame celebration starting at 11:40 am. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.

 

The Vikings close out the regular-season home portion of the schedule hosting Central Washington in a four-game series at Viking Field. WWU's four seniors will be celebrated during the series with a special pregame recognition prior to Saturday's doubleheader, scheduled to start at 11:40 am. The Vikings four seniors are center fielder Taylor Khorrami, catcher Emily Paulson, first baseman Ashley Jacobson and pitcher Hanako Hirai.

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

 

 

Here is an up-to-date look at the GNAC Softball standings through Friday's games with the Vikings remaining in first place in the standings with a 15-3 record. The top four teams in the conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships May 2-4 in Bellingham at Vikings Field. All updated stats, standings and schedule from the conference are available online at GNACSports.com.

 

 

WWU is one win shy of reaching the program single-season record for wins, currently at 35-5 through the first 40 games of the season. The Vikings reached the 30-win mark in just 34 games and have recorded the first 30-win season since going 34-19 during the season in 2017. The team needs just one more win to reach the record of 36 wins set by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692).

 

 

Freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews recorded a hit in each game of the doubleheader to extend her hitting streak to 14 games, the longest streak by a Viking this season. Andrews is batting .511 (24-for-47) during the hitting streak with 20 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBI and nine walks.

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The Vikings had its program-record 17-game winning streak snapped with the 3-2 loss in the opener vs. CWU, the first defeat since March 16. WWU also had a 13-0 start to the season to mark the best undefeated start in program and GNAC history. 

 

 

Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez is second in the GNAC with 13 home runs, already the second-most homers in a single season by a Viking in 32 years of program history. Only program all-time home run leader Emily Benson has hit more homers in a single season than Andrewjeski-Ramirez 13 home runs, recording 14 homers in 2019 for the single-season record. Here is a look at the WWU single-season HR leaders, with the Vikings 36 homers this season 5th-most in program history: