BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Led by a nearly perfect day in the circle and on defense, the No. 11 Western Washington University softball team swept Saturday's GNAC doubleheader vs. Montana State Billings winning by scores of 6-1 and 1-0 at Viking Field.

 

WWU won the series by winning three of the four games over MSUB, improving to 29-10 overall and remaining in 1st place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 13-3. The Vikings also officially clinched a spot in the postseason as the first team to punch one of the four tickets to the GNAC Championships with Western set to defend its title May 1-3 in Nampa, Idaho.

 

Western has won 12 of its last 13 conference games to earn an early spot in the GNAC Championships with eight games remaining in the 2025 regular season.

 

The Vikings were led by a pair of complete game pitching performances from Alli Kimball in the first game and Kaiana Kong in the second game, with the sophomore duo limiting MSUB to eight hits and one run combined between the two games with 10 strikeouts and only one walk.

 

Western's defense was equally as impressive fielding 61 total chances without making an error.

 

At the plate sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles, one stolen base and one RBI and senior left fielder Lexi Barcomb was 3-for-6 with a run scored and stolen base.

 

WWU returns to the road next week for a four-game GNAC series at Central Washington in Ellensburg.

 

 

Wearing the specially-made jerseys for Autism Awareness Day in honor of her brother Joey, sophomore starting pitcher Alli Kimball earned a complete-game victory in the 6-1 win over MSUB to open the doubleheader.

 

Kimball held the Yellowjackets scoreless until the final inning, with the Vikings blowing open a close game with a five-run bottom of the 5th inning.

 

WWU scored a run in the 1st inning on two-out double to right field by catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez.

 

The game remained 1-0 with WWU in the lead until the bottom of the 5th inning when the Vikings exploded for five runs. McKenna Crum, Maleah Andrews and Hailey Rath all recorded run-scoring hits as the Vikings sent eight runners to the plate. Andrewjeski-Ramirez added a sacrifice fly and Kanilehua Pitoy added a RBI groundout.

 

Kimball gave up the lone run of her outing with two outs in the top of the 7th inning on a double by Bryn Lucht, but the game ended on the same play when Lucht was thrown out looking to stretch the hit into a triple.

 

Kimball improved to 12-3 on the season and 2-0 in the series with the complete-game effort, scattering four hits and recording three strikeouts. Andrews and left fielder Lexi Barcomb both went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the eight-hit attack for the Vikings. Andrewjeski-Ramirez finished 1-for-2 with a double and a pair of RBI.

 

 

 

Sophomore Kaiana Kong recorded a complete-game shutout limiting MSUB to four hits to seal the series victory in the nightcap with the 1-0 victory.

 

Making just her third career start, last year's national saves leader went the distance for the first time in her collegiate career on 92 pitches to earn the win improving to 6-0 on the season and 22-1 in her career. Kong struck out seven batters and did not record a walk to finish the series with 13.0 scoreless innings.

 

The Vikings lone run came in the bottom of the 1st inning on a one-out sacrifice fly by designated player Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez. The Vikings set the plate for the senior with a one-out infield single by Kanilehua Pitoy and a double by Hailey Rath, with Andrewjeski-Ramirez lifting a flyball to center field to plate Pitoy with what turned out to be the only run of the game.

 

MSUB threatened to tie the game in the top of the 2nd inning putting a runner in scoring position on a one out double by right fielder Wynter Hurst. Kong got a groundout and strikeout to end the early scoring threat. The Yellowjackets got a leadoff single by Lauren Blaschak in the 4th inning, but Kong got a pair of strikeouts and double play on a catcher caught stealing by Paris Dellamaggiore.

 

Kong retired the last nine batters she faced to record the shutout.

 

Pitoy and Rath were both 2-for-3 to lead the Vikings seven-hit offensive performance. WWU threatened often, but left nine runners on base and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

 

A day after throwing a three-hit shutout, MSUB starter Emily Watters had another solid outing despite suffering the loss allowing one run and seven hits in the complete-game (6.0 IP) effort. Blaschak was 2-for-3 with a stolen base to lead the Yellowjackets.

 

 

The Vikings (29-10, 13-3 GNAC) return to the road for the penultimate weekend of the regular season traveling to Ellensburg to play a four-game series against Central Washington University, with games Friday and Saturday at 1 and 3 pm at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field. Links to follow the live stats and webcast are available at wwuvikings.com/Live. The complete 2025 schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/Team33.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2025 season:

 

 

Here is a look at the updated GNAC standings through Saturday's games with the Vikings remaining in 1st place in the table with a 13-3 conference record. The top four teams in the conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships held May 1-3 in Nampa, Idaho, with WWU already locking up one of the spots. All updated stats, standings and schedule from the conference are available online at GNACSports.com.