LONGWOOD, Fla. – The Western Washington University softball team dropped the opening game of the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship Series Friday falling 3-0 to UT Tyler at Soldiers Creek Field.

 

WWU advanced to the best-of-three national championship series by navigating the lower half of the bracket winning three consecutive elimination games. The Vikings trail the best-of-three series 1-0 heading into the final day of the NCAA II softball season. Western will need to defeat UTT twice Saturday to raise the national championship trophy for the second time in program history and the first as an NCAA member school.

 

The Vikings have played their best postseason when they have had their backs against a wall, going 7-0 in elimination games. Friday's loss to the Patriots marked just the fourth time being shut out this season to fall to 52-11 on the season.

 

"We'll go get them tomorrow. UT Tyler is a great team, and they did a great job. We were hitting the ball and started to put some at-bats together and started making some adjustments, the balls just didn't fall, and they played great defense and their outfield covered a lot of ground," said WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore. "It is not unlike us to take the tough road and to play as many games as possible…so we are ready for the challenge ahead of us and excited about the opportunity tomorrow to compete for a national championship."

 

After stranding five runners on base in its first two at-bats, UT Tyler got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 3rd inning on a two-run home run by third baseman Michelle Arias. WWU freshman starting pitcher Alli Kimball battled Arias in a 10-pitch at-bat, including five foul balls, before she left the yard over the left field fence for her eighth home run of the season to tie for the team lead.

 

A pair of diving outfield plays by the Patriots helped keep the Vikings off the bases and UTT added an insurance run in the bottom of the 5th inning when JT Smith scored on a wild throw to extend the lead to 3-0.

 

Western junior second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy continued her solid postseason at the plate going 2-for-3 with her 12th double of the season. The Viking offense combined to go 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base to endure a shutout for just the fourth time this season.

 

The Vikings best scoring chance came in their opening at-bat putting a pair of runners in scoring position on a single by Pitoy and Hailey Rath reaching on an error. A strikeout and groundout stalled the opening-inning rally. For the game WWU batters went 0-for-10 with runners on base.

 

Kimball dropped just her third decision of the season to stand at 24-3 on the season, allowing three hits and two runs (both on the Arias HR) in 3.0 innings. All three of Kimball's defeats this season have come when the Vikings were shut out (twice to NNU). Junior Joie Baker allowed one unearned run in 3.0 innings to keep Western close.

 

UT Tyler starting pitcher Christian Haygood improved to 22-1 on the season with 7.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out three batters. The Patriots improved to 57-7 overall and remained perfect in the NCAA Tournament with a 9-0 record including a 4-0 mark at the World Series. UTT spread its five hits across five different players, and were limited to 5-or-fewer hits for the 10th time this season. WWU pitchers also limited the Patriots to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. UT Tyler is playing in its third consecutive DII World Series and was the 2016 NCAA Division III National Champion.

 

 

Here is a look at the schedule for the best-of-three championship series starting in Longwood, Florida, with the NCAA Division II National Champion crowned on Saturday: 

 

NCAA Division II National Championship Finals

No. 6 Seed Western Washington vs. No. 2 Seed UT Tyler

Soldiers Creek Park – Longwood, Florida

Friday, May 24, 2024

Game 1 – UT Tyler 3, Western Washington 0

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Game 2 – 12:00 pm ET/9:00 am PT

Game 3 – 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am PT – If necessary

 

The Vikings have gone 13-4 in the 2024 postseason (3-0 GNAC Championships, 10-4 NCAA Tournament), including a resilient mark of 7-0 when facing elimination. Ahead of Saturday's final day of the season, WWU has gone 8-0-2 in series against a single opponent this season (two, three, or four games). Western Washington is 8-1 in extra-inning games and holds a 17-6 record in games that were decided by a single run.
 

 

The Vikings (52-11) get the rare chance to play on the final day of the season for NCAA Division II Softball, needing a pair of wins over UT Tyler to win the 2024 National Championship. UT Tyler leads the best-of-three championship series 1-0 following Friday's 3-0 victory. Saturday's schedule begins with Game 2 at 12 pm ET/9 am PT, with a Game 3 if necessary following. All games in the Softball Championships feature a free webcast live on NCAA.com.

 

The NCAA II Softball National Championship format consists of two four-team brackets that will play a double-elimination tournament May 19-22. The winner of each four-team bracket – UT Tyler and WWU - square off in a best-of-three championship final round held Friday and Saturday (May 24-25). All games during the DII Softball National Championship will be played at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Florida. Here is a detailed look at the game schedule (and results) for the NCAA DII Softball National Championship:

 

Sunday, May 19:

Game 1 – #8 Lenoir-Rhyne 1, #1 Auburn Montgomery 0 (9 inn.)

Game 2 – #4 UIndy 9, vs. #5 Charleston 0 (5 inn.)

Game 3 – #2 UT Tyler 2, #7 Augustana 1 (8 inn.)

Game 4 –#6 Western Washington 2, #3 Wilmington 1

 

Monday, May 20:

Game 5 – #4 UIndy 1, #8 Lenoir-Rhyne 0

Game 6 – #2 UT Tyler 10, #6 Western Washington 1

 

Tuesday, May 21:

Game 7 – #1 Auburn Montgomery 17, #5 Charleston 4 Charleston eliminated

Game 8 – #3 Wilmington 5, #7 Augustana 2  Augustana eliminated

Game 9 – #6 Western Washington 7, #1 Auburn Montgomery 1 AUM eliminated

Game 10 – #8 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, #3 Wilmington 4 (9 inn.) Wilmington eliminated

 

Wednesday, May 22:

Game 11 – #6 Western Washington 2, #4 UIndy 1 (12 innings)

Game 12 – #2 UT Tyler 5, #8 Lenoir-Rhyne 2 Lenoir-Rhyne eliminated

Game 13 – #6 Western Washington 7, #4 UIndy 1

Winner of each 4-team bracket advances to National Championship best-of-three series

 

Thursday, May 23:

Off Day / Practice for final two teams

 

Friday, May 24:

Championship Game 1 - #2 UT Tyler 3, #6 Western Washington 0

 

Saturday, May 25:

Championship Game 2 - #2 UT Tyler vs. #6 Western Washington, 12 pm ET/9 am PT

Championship Game 3 - 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am ET - if necessary

Winner of each best-of-three series wins national title

 

All games during the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship will be streamed live and FREE online by visiting NCAA.com/liveschedule. Once visiting that link fans will be able to choose from all NCAA events that will stream that day…just find the Viking logo and click to watch the game live online. A direct link will also be available by bookmarking wwuvikings.com/SB_Watch.

 

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

 

 

Here are links on how to follow the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball Championships with the original 64-team field now down to the final eight teams at the DII College World Series in Longwood, Florida:

 

• NCAA Spring Sports Festival
• Championships Festival Schedule
• Live Webcast on NCAA.com (FREE)
• NCAA Tournament Scoreboard
• NCAA Bracket
• Digital Gameday Program
• NCAA Softball
• WWU Softball Statistics
• Super Regional Website

 

WWU is making its sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships and the first in the NCAA II World Series (final 8 teams). Entering the 2024 postseason with one NCAA Tournament victory, the Vikings are 10-4 during the current playoff run and are 11-14 all-time 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. Here is a look at the Vikings game-by-game listing in the NCAA Championships with the regional host site listed next to the year:

 

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

Defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, 4-3 (Super Regional)

Lost to Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-2 (Super Regional)

Defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, 7-6 (West Region Champions) – 8 innings

Defeated Wilmington (DE), 2-1 (NCAA Championship Finals) – Longwood, FL

Lost to UT Tyler, 10-1 (NCAA Championship Finals) – Longwood, FL

Defeated Auburn Montgomery, 7-1 (NCAA Championship Finals) – Longwood, FL

Defeated UIndy, 2-1 (9 inn.) (NCAA Championship Finals) – Longwood, FL

Defeated UIndy, 7-0 (NCAA Championship Finals) – Longwood, FL

Lost to UT Tyler, 3-0 (NCAA Championship Series) – Longwood, FL

 

WWU has set the program record for wins in a season with 52, passing the 36 wins achieved by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). This is the 10th season with 30-or-more wins in program history. Western also ranks 4th in GNAC history with the 51 wins:

 

 

WWU is the first team since the GNAC was founded in 2001 to reach the NCAA Division II Softball World Series. The Vikings finished second in the GNAC regular-season standings with a league record of 19-5, before going 3-0 on their home field to capture the program's third GNAC Championships tournament trophy. From there, the Vikings went 4-1 at the West Regional and defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 2-1 in a three-game super regional series to advance to the NCAA Championships. The Vikings set the GNAC record for consecutive wins to start a season with 13, broke the school record with a mid-season, 17-game winning streak and shattered the previous program record for wins in a season which was 34. WWU's 52 wins this spring are fourth-most in GNAC history, and the most by a conference team since Humboldt State won 54 games in 2006.