LONGWOOD, Fla. – The Western Washington University softball team had its historic 2024 season come to a close Saturday falling to UT Tyler in the NCAA Division II Championship series to earn national runner-up honors.

 

WWU went 4-3 during the week-long stay in Florida at the DII Softball World Series, falling to only one team, the national champion UT Tyler Patriots, who defeated the Vikings 10-1 Saturday at Soldiers Creek Park to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0 to win their first NCAA Division II title in just their third eligible season at this level, adding to a DIII championship for the program in 2016.

 

The Vikings completed the best season in program and Great Northwest Athletic Conference history with a 52-12 overall record, winning the conference postseason tournament, the West Regional title and placing 2nd out of 279 NCAA II collegiate programs. Playing on the final day of the 2024 season as one of two teams remaining, the Vikings fell short of its first NCAA national title and second national championship in program history after winning the 1998 NAIA national title.

 

"I am just so proud of this team. Congratulations to UT Tyler, they are a phenomenal team and they definitely deserved to be national champions. But so proud of this team's fight, their resilience and grit to get here," said WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore. "The way this team fought all season long, the records they have broken, and the way they have stayed together throughout the process. But more than the records and the wins, the people that are part of this program are really special and the legacy they have left at Western Washington University is truly special. I could not have asked for a better group of seniors to lead this group."

 

The 32nd edition of WWU Softball traveled 3,200 miles from Bellingham to Florida, playing seven games in seven days in the hot and humid weather. The Vikings went through the elimination bracket to advance to the best-of-three championship series, a run that was highlighted by defeating nationally No. 2 ranked UIndy twice Wednesday to advance to the championship series.

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UT Tyler put the finishing touches on a perfect run through the NCAA Tournament going 10-0 with an undefeated 5-0 record at the World Series. The national champions finished with a 58-7 overall record. 

 

The Patriots jumped out to the lead in the top of the 2nd when first baseman Clarisa Zapata drew a one-out bases loaded walk. The Vikings stranded the bases loaded once again when starting pitcher Alli Kimball induced a pop out and fly out to end the inning.

 

The Patriots added to their lead in the 3rd inning with three more runs to extend the lead to 4-0. Shortstop Courtney Plocheck and center fielder JT Smith tabbed back-to-back doubles and Audrey Escamilla drove in a pair of runs with a sharp single to center field.

 

UTT added to its lead with three more runs in the 6th inning to grow the lead to 7-0.

 

The Vikings broke a string of 14.0 consecutive scoreless innings on offense in the bottom of the 6th inning when senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson doubled to the right field gap to score Kanilehua Pitoy from first base.

 

The Patriots tacked on three more runs in their final at-bat to bring the game to the final score of 10-1. 

 

WWU was 7-0 in elimination games in the NCAA tournament – and 3-0 in the World Series – prior to today's defeat. The Vikings endured back-to-back defeats for just the third time this season while crushing the school single-season record with 52 total wins.

 

WWU freshman starting pitcher Alli Kimball (24-4) was saddled with the loss allowing three runs (2 ER) in 2.0 innings, concluding a stellar postseason that earned her a spot on the NCAA Championships All-Tournament team (with catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez). 

 

The Vikings were limited to two hits in the loss with Pitoy's leadoff single and Jacobson's two-out double accounting for the offensive output.

 

UT Tyler starting pitcher Christin Haygood put the finishing touches on her NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player performance with the complete-game 2-hitter allowing only one run on 106 total pitches. The Patriots 3-4-5 hitters powered the offense with eight hits, led by a 3-for-3, 3-run, 2-walk performance by Plocheck and 3-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI by Smith. Third baseman Michelle Arias was 2-for-3 with 2 runs and a pair of RBI.

 

 

Here is a look at the results for the best-of-three championship series in Longwood, Florida, with the UT Tyler winning the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship:

 

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 – UT Tyler 10, Western Washington 1
 

 

The NCAA II Softball National Championship format consists of two four-team brackets that played a double-elimination tournament May 19-22. The winner of each four-team bracket – UT Tyler and WWU - squared off in a best-of-three championship final round held Friday and Saturday (May 24-25), with UT Tyler winning 2-0. All games during the DII Softball National Championship were 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 10, #6 Western Washington 1 UT Tyler wins national title

 

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

 

 

WWU made 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 went 10-5 during this year's run to the national championship series. Prior to moving to the NCAA level in 1999, WWU won the NAIA World Series in 1998 for the first team national championship 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

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

 

WWU 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 52 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 are 4th-most in GNAC history, and the most by a conference team since Humboldt State won 54 games in 2006.