BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University softball team recorded its fourth consecutive doubleheader split in GNAC play, completing its four-game conference series at Montana State Billings with a 2-2 record.

In Saturday's doubleheader at Yellowjacket Field, the Vikings won the opener 11-2 in a 5 inning game shortened by the run rule, and dropped the nightcap 9-7. WWU is 4-4 over its last two GNAC series to complete the first half of conference play 22-15 overall and 8-4 in league games.

Junior All-American third baseman Maleah Andrews continues to swing a hot bat going 5-for-6 with four runs scored, one double, two home runs, four RBI and two walks on Saturday. She completed the series batting .818 (9-for-11) with three home runs and seven RBI, reaching base safely in 14 of 16 plate appearances.

Senior first baseman Olivia Matlock combined to go 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles in the doubleheader.

WWU heads into the second half of the conference slate in third place in the GNAC standings, with the top four teams advancing to the conference tournament following the regular season. The Vikings remain on the road next weekend with a four-game series at Simon Fraser (14-24, 12-4 GNAC).

Game 1 – WWU 11, MSUB 2 (5 inn.):

The Vikings scored in every inning in the 11-2 victory in 5 innings, building a 5-0 lead through the first three innings and put the game away with a 5-run 4th inning.

Maleah Andrews opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning and Hailey Rath hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 3rd inning for her GNAC-leading 11th longball of the season. Olivia Matlock highlighted the big 5-run 4th inning with a 2-run double to right field.

Alanna Wirtala earned her 18th win of the season with the complete-game effort, scattering seven hits and two runs in 5.0 innings.

Western Washington 11, MSU Billings 2 (Game 1)

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Western Washington..... 113 51 - 11 13  0      (22-14, 8-3 GNAC)

MSU Billings........... 000 02 -  2  7  4      (4-36, 2-13 GNAC)

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WWU: Wirtala and Wise, Pewitt

MSUB: Butler, Akers(3), Troxwell(4), Hurst(5) and Hood, Villas

Win-Wirtala (18-8)  Loss-Butler(1-13)  T-1:30

HR WWU - Andrews (6), Rath (11)

HR MSUB - Hurst (2)

Game 2 – MSUB 9, WWU 7:

Western dropped the series finale 9-7 in a game that featured an hour-long weather delay, five home runs and 16 combined runs.

MSUB got off to a quick start with a grand slam by Cazz Rankosky in the bottom of the 1st inning and led 7-4 through the first three innings.

WWU tied the game at 7-7 with a three-run top of the 4th inning, fueled by a home run by Maleah Andrews, a run-scoring single by Emily McCutcheon and an RBI groundout by Haylee Kim. A double by Andrews in the top of the 5th looked to drive in the game-tying run, but Payton Chacon was thrown out at home plate to keep the MSUB lead at 8-7.

The Yellowjackets retook the lead in the bottom of the 4th on solo home run by Marleigh Nieto and added an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th.

Trailing 8-7 in the top of the 6th inning, the Vikings loaded the bases with two outs, but a lighting delay halted the game for over an hour. When the game resumed, MSUB pitcher Avery Gray struck out Laila Carpenter to end the scoring threat.

Andrews finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run, walk and run scored and Olivia Matlock went 3-for-4.

Alanna Wirtala (18-9) suffered the loss allowing four home run and eight total runs in 4.0 innings. Evalyn Massena kept the Vikings in the game allowing one run in two innings of relief work to close out the game.

MSU Billings 9, Western Washington 7 (Game 2)

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Western Washington..... 031 300 0 -  7 11  3      (22-15, 8-4 GNAC)

MSU Billings........... 421 101 X -  9  9  2      (5-36, 3-13 GNAC)

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WWU: Wirtala, Massena (5) and Wise

MSUB: Gray, Wasilewski(6) and Hood, Villas

Win-Gray(1-11)  Loss-Wirtala (18-9)  T-3:23  A-120

HR WWU - Andrews (7)

HR MSUB - Theilen (3), Nieto (2), Hood (8), Rankosky (2)

The Vikings (22-15, 8-4 GNAC) open the second half of the GNAC schedule next weekend with a four-game road series at Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia. WWU and SFU play doubleheaders on Friday (starts at 2 pm) and Saturday (starts at noon) at Beedie Field on top of Burnaby Mountain. 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:

Here is a look at the current GNAC standings through Saturday's games in conference play, with the Vikings halfway through the 24-game conference slate. The top four teams in the standings at the end of the regular season advance to play in the GNAC Championships held May 7-9 in Ellensburg.

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 121-40 (.752).