LACEY, Wash. – Senior shortstop Hailey Rath had a record-breaking performance with three home runs and 10 RBI to lead the Western Washington University softball team to a 16-12 victory Friday against Saint Martin's University at the Regional Athletic Complex.
The Vikings pounded out a season-best 17 hits in the victory to improve to 11-8 overall. WWU has won its last three games and four of the last five. Friday's game did not count against the GNAC standings with the official start to conference play set for March 27.
Rath set WWU single-game records with the three home runs and 10 RBI, tying the GNAC mark with her three longballs and establishing the conference record for RBI. The senior hit a grand slam in the 2nd inning, 3-run homer in the 3rd inning and plated the game-winning runs with another 3-run home run in the top of the 7th inning. Rath now has nine home runs and 32 RBI in 19 games this season while batting .400 (24-for-60).
After trailing 3-1 through the opening inning, WWU raced out to a 12-6 lead behind a six-run outburst in the top of the 2nd inning and five more runs in the top of the 3rd. The Saints battled back with six runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to tie the score 12-12 with right fielder Taylor Orgeles providing the big hit with a grand slam.
Rath broke the tie with her third home run of the game in the top of the 7th inning, clearing the fence in center field with a tape-measure blast. WWU's all-time leader in hits and RBI (and many other statistical categories) now has 31 home runs while starting all 192 games in her collegiate career.
Junior third baseman Maleah Andrews reached base in all five of her plate appearances going 2-for-2 with a home run, three walks and tied the program single-game record scoring four runs. Leadoff hitter Payton Chacon (3-for-5, 3 R) and catcher EmmaJoy Wise (3-for-5, R) both recorded three-hit games.
Freshman pitcher Alanna Wirtala recorded the victory pitching 6.1 innings to improve to 8-5 on the season (8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K).
Western Washington 16, Saint Martin's 12
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Washington..... 165 000 4 - 16 17 1 (11-8)
Saint Martin's......... 321 060 0 - 12 10 1 (7-9)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WWU – Wirtala, Massena (7) and Wise
SMU – Vaughan, Norfleet (2), Leitz (3), Johnson (7) and Detrinidad
Win-Wirtala (8-5) Loss-Leitz (0-1) T-2:40 A-55
HR WWU - Andrews (5); Rath 3 (9)
HR SMU - Agena; Ebner; Orgeles
The Vikings (11-8) return to action Saturday with a scheduled doubleheader against Saint Martin's in Lacey, beginning at 12 pm. More information on the 2026 season can be found at WWUVikings.com/Team34.
Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2026 season:
|
RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall
|
11-8
|
|
GNAC
|
0-0
|
|
Non-Conference
|
11-8
|
|
Streak
|
W3
|
|
Home
|
2-0
|
|
Away
|
1-1
|
|
Neutral
|
8-7
|
|
vs. Ranked Teams
|
1-2
|
|
1-Run Games
|
2-1
|
|
2-Run Games
|
1-1
|
|
Extra Innings
|
1-0
|
|
Shutouts
|
2-1
|
|
BY UNIFORM
|
|
Light Blue Pinstripes
|
0-4
|
|
Navy/White
|
3-1
|
|
Black
|
3-2
|
|
Gray
|
3-1
|
|
White/Navy
|
2-0
|
|
Gray/Blue
|
0-0
|
The WWU softball is in its 34th season in 2026 while coming off a historic 47-13 season in 2025. The Vikings claimed their fourth GNAC title by winning the 2025 postseason tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the seventh time in program history. Playing in the NCAA postseason for the seventh time, WWU won its second consecutive West Regional title defeating Cal State East Bay in the sub-regional and Cal State San Marcos in the Super Regional. The historic season ended playing in the D2 World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee, reaching the semifinal round (Final Four). WWU has posted a winning record 22 times during the 33-year history of the program, which won the 1998 NAIA National Championship in only its sixth season to record the school's first ever team national title. Over the last three seasons the program has combined to go 110-33 (.769).
