BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Vikings are Super…as in Super Regional Bound.

 

The Western Washington University softball team recorded a pair of victories Saturday over defending West Regional Champion Cal State San Marcos – 7-1 and 2-1 – to win the Bellingham bracket of the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships. The Vikings take their 46-8 overall record into the Super Regional round hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills in a best of three series starting Tuesday at Viking Field (noon first pitch).

 

Western's recipe during its historic season has been pitching, defense, timely hitting and a lot of grit. All four were on display Saturday going through the second half of the bracket to extend the season.

 

A day after falling to San Marcos 4-3 in a winner's bracket game, WWU carried the momentum of a late-inning rally against the Cougars into Saturday's game scoring seven unanswered runs to record the victory and force a game seven in the sub-regional with the 7-1 victory. Freshman Alli Kimball gave another masterful pitching performance allowing one run in 5.0 innings and freshman Kaiana Kong closed out the win with 2.0 scoreless innings for the save.

 

WWU and CSUSM each scored a run in the 4th inning, with the Vikings pushing across the game-winning run in the top of the 6th inning while playing as the visitors on their home field. Second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy led off the 6th inning with a triple to right field, but CSUSM All-West Region pitcher Jayline Sloss nearly wiggled out of the jam before Emily Paulson lifted a two-out single to left field to plate Pitoy with the go-ahead run.

 

The Cougars put a pair of runners on base to open the bottom of the 6th inning to chase Kimball – who came on in relief of starter Joie Baker – from the game. With runners on second and third, Kong induced a groundball to shortstop where Hailey Rath threw home to cut down the potential tying run. Kong ended the scoring threat recording the final out of the 6th inning, and then worked around a one-out single in the 7th inning, to record her 10th save of the season to secure the victory and advance the Vikings to the Super Regional.

 

Paulson finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Vikings at the plate, with freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews going 4-for-7 with two doubles, a home run and three runs scored. Junior right fielder McKenna Crum added three hits. During the five-game regional Pitoy combined to go 6-for-15 (.400) with three doubles, one triple and three RBI.

 

Kimball recorded both wins Saturday vs. Cal State San Marcos to improve to 21-2 on the season (1.15 ERA), with Kong tallying a pair of saves to extend her WWU single-season record to 10. Junior Joie Baker allowed one run in 3.1 innings starting the second game vs. the Cougars. Kimball was 4-0 with a 0.37 ERA (1 ER, 19.0 IP) in the sub-regional, with Kong recording three saves.
 

 

The Vikings (46-8) will host Cal State Dominguez Hills in the West Super Regional, with the best of three series starting Tuesday at Viking Field at noon. Wednesday's second game will also start at noon with an if necessary game three at 2:30 pm. More information will become available about the Super Regional action on Sunday or Monday. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.

 

WWU is the host of one of the two sub-regional tournaments in Bellingham at Viking Field, just a week after hosting the GNAC Championships. This marks the first time WWU has hosted an NCAA Softball Championships event. Here is a look at the Bellingham bracket with game times listed. The other side of the West Region bracket was held in Nampa, Idaho, with Northwest Nazarene University serving as the host. Cal State Dominguez Hills went a perfect 3-0 in the regional to advance to play WWU in the Super Regional round Tuesday-Wednesday in Bellingham. The winner of the Super Regional (best of 3) advances to the NCAA II Championship Finals May 19-25 in Longwood, Florida.

 

 

Thursday, May 9:

Game 1 – No. 1 Western Washington 1, No. 8 Azusa Pacific 0

Game 2 – No. 4 Cal State San Marcos 9, No. 5 Cal State East Bay 1 (5 inn.)

Friday, May 10:

Game 3 – No. 4 Cal State San Marcos 4, No. 1 Western Washington 3

Game 4 – No. 8 Azusa Pacific 5, No. 5 Cal State East Bay 0 (CSUEB eliminated)

Game 5 – No. 1 Western Washington, No. 8 Azusa Pacific 0 (APU eliminated)

Saturday, May 11:

Game 6 – No. 1 Western Washington 7, No. 4 Cal State San Marcos 1

Game 7 – No. 1 Western Washington 2, No. 4 Cal State San Marcos 1

 

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

 

 

Here are links on how to follow the 64-team field in the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball Championships:

 

• Tournament Website (Bellingham Pod)
• NCAA Tournament Scoreboard
• NCAA Bracket
• Digital Gameday Program
• NCAA Softball

 

WWU is making its sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships and first since 2021. The Vikings are 5-11 all-time in the NCAA Championships, going 3-1 so far during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Here is a look at the Vikings game-by-game listing in the NCAA Championships. Prior to moving to the NCAA level in 1999, WWU won the NAIA World Series for the first team title in WWU Athletics history:

 

2003 (Bakersfield, CA):

Lost to UC Davis, 4-2

Lost to Humboldt State, 7-1

 

2007 (Turlock, CA):

Lost to Stanislaus State, 2-0

Lost to Sonoma State, 3-1

 

2011 (Chico, CA):

Lost to Chico State, 3-1

Lost to Central Washington, 8-4

 

2017 (Seaside, CA):

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 5-3

Lost to Dixie State, 5-0

Lost to Sonoma State, 6-4

 

2021 (Irvine, CA):

Lost to Hawai'i Hilo, 3-0

Lost to Central Washington, 9-5

 

2024 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Azusa Pacific, 1-0

Lost to Cal State San Marcos, 4-3

Defeated Azusa Pacific, 3-0

Defeated Cal State San Marcos, 7-1

Defeated Cal State San Marcos, 2-1

 

WWU has set the program record for wins in a season with 46 (and counting), passing the 36 wins achieved by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). This is the 10th 30-victory season in program history.