BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 11 Western Washington University softball team celebrated its four seniors on Senior Day Saturday at Viking Field taking on Central Washington University in a GNAC doubleheader.

 

The Vikings and Wildcats split the doubleheader with each team recording a 2-1 victory with the four-game series resulting in a 2-2 split. WWU won the opener 2-1 on a two-out, two-run single by Hailey Rath in the bottom of the 5th inning. WWU put the potential tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the 7th inning in the nightcap, but fell short of the come-from-behind victory.

 

With the game one victory, WWU recorded its 36th win of the season to tie the single-season program record. The Vikings are 36-6 overall and 16-4 in GNAC play heading into the final week of the regular season next week with a four-game series at Western Oregon. 

 

Junior right fielder McKenna Crum went 3-for-6 in Saturday's doubleheader and finished the four-game series going 6-for-11 against the Wildcats. Rath went 4-for-7 with a pair of RBI Saturday raising her season batting average to a GNAC-best .394 (56-for-142).

 

WWU's pitchers allowed just three runs in the 14.0 innings Saturday vs. the Wildcats, with freshman Kaiana Kong allowing one hit in 4.1 innings. Kong earned the game one victory with 3.1 scoreless frames.
 

 

 

The Vikings opened the Senior Day doubleheader with a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats, with both runs scoring on a two-out, two-run single by Hailey Rath in the bottom of the 5th inning.

 

Trailing 1-0, WWU rallied to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Rath, who singled into the right-center field gap to put the Vikings ahead 2-1 with one swing of the bat. 

 

CWU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning on a single to left field by first baseman TK Kai. Freshman pitcher Kaiana Kong got the Vikings out of a jam stranding the bases loaded to keep the game at a one-run deficit.

 

Kong finished the game with 3.1 scoreless innings allowing one hit to pick up the win improving to 12-1 on the season.

 

Rath and junior right fielder McKenna Crum both went 2-for-3 at the plate, and freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews went 1-for-2 to extend her hitting streak to 14 games.

 

CWU starter Ashlee Laver (7-12) allowed seven hits and two runs in the complete-game effort.

 

 

 

The Vikings and Wildcats played the third one-run contest of the series in the final game, with CWU winning 2-1.

 

The Wildcats scored a run in the 1st inning off senior starting pitcher Hanako Hirai and went up 2-0 with a single tally in the 5th inning.

 

WWU cut the deficit to one run at 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning on a two-out single through the right side of the infield. The Vikings rallied in the bottom of the 7th inning putting a pair of runners on base with back-to-back two-out singles by Lexi Barcomb and Hailey Rath, but Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez popped out to end the game.

 

Normal starter Alli Kimball entered in relief in the 1st inning and delivered 5.2 strong innings allowing six hits and one run while recording a no-decision. 

 

Barcomb and Rath each went 2-for-4 to lead the Vikings nine-hit attack at the plate.

 

CWU freshman starter Zoey Theophilus allowed one run in 5.2 innings and Ashlee Laver closed out the victory with 1.1 shutout innings for her second save of the season.

 

 

The Vikings (36-6, 16-4 GNAC) close out the regular season next weekend on the road with a four-game series at Western Oregon, with conference doubleheaders scheduled for Friday (12 & 2:30 pm) and Saturday (1 & 3:30 pm) in Monmouth. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.

 

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.

 

The Vikings closed out the regular-season home portion of the schedule hosting Central Washington in a four-game series at Viking Field. WWU's four seniors were celebrated during the series with a special pregame recognition prior to Saturday's doubleheader. 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 Saturday's games with the Vikings in 2nd place in the standings with a 16-4 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 has equaled its program record for wins in a season with 36, matching the 36 wins achieved by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). The Vikings picked up their 36th win in the 41st game of the season. This is the 10th 30-victory season in program history.