ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The No. 11 nationally ranked Western Washington University softball team completed a four-game series sweep over rival Central Washington University winning both games of Saturday's doubleheader at Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field.

 

WWU closed out the dominating series out-scoring CWU 49-5 and tallying 56 hits (13 doubles, 5 home runs) in the four-game series, winning Saturday by scores of 10-2 and 12-1. 

 

The Vikings improved to 33-10 overall and 17-3 in conference play and now have a magic number of one heading into the final series of the season to claim the program's second GNAC regular season title and first since 2007. WWU has won six consecutive games and 12 of its last 13 games.

 

Western hosts Simon Fraser next weekend (Friday-Saturday) at Viking Field for Senior Weekend prior to the GNAC Championships in Nampa, Idaho.

 

Saturday's pair of wins secured the 200th win for seventh-year head coach Sheryl Gilmore, who has guided the program to unprecedented heights over the last two seasons combining to go 85-22.

 

The four-game sweep over CWU marked the first time the Vikings have recorded four consecutive wins over the Wildcats since going 4-0 during the 2015 season.

 

In Saturday's doubleheader sweep, the Vikings offense scored 22 runs on 26 hits with first baseman Olivia Matlock going 5-for-8 with a double and three runs scored and center fielder Laila Carpenter going 4-for-6 with two doubles and a sacrifice bunt. Right fielder McKenna Crum and designated player Nyree Johnson each had four RBI, with Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez and Hailey Rath each tallying three RBI. Johnson, Rath and Haylee Kim all hit home runs Saturday.

 

Western's pitching trio of Alli Kimball (3.0 IP, H, 0 R, 4 SO), Joie Baker (1-0, 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 SO) and Kaiana Kong (1-0, 2 G/1GS, 6.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 5 SO) combined to limit CWU to three runs in 12.0 innings. The Viking defense made one error in the two games Saturday and just two fielding miscues in the four-game series.

 

Over the four-game series sweep, Andrewjeski-Ramirez went 8-for-13 (.615) with four runs scored, three doubles, a grand slam and 10 RBI for a 1.077 slugging percentage.

 

The Vikings wrap up the regular season next week with a pair of home doubleheaders at Viking Field hosting Simon Fraser University, with games scheduled to start Friday and Saturday at noon. Saturday's games will cap Senior Weekend with McKenna Crum, Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez, Lexi Barcomb, Joie Baker and Kanilehua Pitoy playing their last regular-season games at Viking Field.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Vikings opened Saturday's doubleheader with a 10-2 victory to clinch the series win over the Wildcats.

 

WWU recorded 15 hits in the game, led by right fielder McKenna Crum going 3-for-3 with four RBI and center fielder Laila Carpenter going 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. First baseman Olivia Matlock also tabbed a three-hit game with her ninth double of the season and catcher Paris Dellamaggiore was 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double.

 

The Vikings led 4-0 through their first four at-bats, scoring two runs each in the 2nd and 4th innings. CWU cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.

 

Western opened up the tight game with five runs in the top of the 6th inning highlighted by a two-run single by designated player Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez.

 

Starting pitcher Kaiana Kong improved to 7-0 on the season scattering six hits and two runs in 4.0 innings and Alli Kimball recorded her first career save recording four strikeouts in 3.0 scoreless innings.

 

 

 

The Vikings completed the series sweep defeating the Wildcats 12-1 in Saturday's nightcap in a run-rule-shortened 5-inning game.

 

Left fielder Lexi Barcomb opened the scoring with an infield RBI single and second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy recorded a two-out single to left field to put the Vikings up 2-0. Shortstop Hailey Rath provided the big blow with a three-run home run to center field to extend the lead to 5-0.

 

Western added a single tally in the 3rd inning and put the game out of reach with five more runs. Freshman designated player Nyree Johnson hit a three-run home run to right-center field to cap the big inning. Freshman Haylee Kim homered in the top of the 5th inning for her first collegiate home run.

 

Senior starting pitcher Joie Baker earned the win allowing one run in 3.0 innings and sophomore Kaiana Kong closed out the victory with 2.0 scoreless innings.

 

Third baseman Maleah Andrews (2-for-4, R), catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez (2-for-4, R, RBI) and first baseman Olivia Matlock (2-for-4, R, RBI) all recorded multi-hit games.

 

 

The Vikings (33-10, 17-3 GNAC) wrap up the regular season next week hosting Simon Fraser in a four-game GNAC series at Viking Field with doubleheaders scheduled for Friday and Saturday starting at noon. 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.

 

WWU improved to 91-78 all-time vs. Central Washington with Saturday's doubleheader sweep and 44-33 all-time in games played in Ellensburg. The four-game sweep marked the first time the Vikings have won four consecutive games against the Wildcats since sweeping the 4-game home-and-home series in 2015. Western has now won six of the last seven games in the series vs. Central dating back to last season.

 

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 first place in the table with a 17-3 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.