BURNABY, B.C. – The Western Washington University softball team splits its Saturday doubleheader at Simon Fraser to clinch the GNAC series winning three of the four games at Beedie Field on Burnaby Mountain.

 

WWU won the opening game 7-4 and dropped a tight 2-1 contest in the nightcap, finishing 3-1 in the conference series to improve to 25-16 overall and 11-5 in GNAC games to remain in second place in the standings.

 

Sophomore catcher EmmaJoy Wise led off each game of the doubleheader with a home run and combined to go 4-for-5 with three runs, two home runs and three RBI on Saturday. Designated player Emily McCutcheon completed a solid series at the plate going 2-for-5 on Saturday and was 7-for-13 in the four-game series.

 

Freshman pitcher Alanna Wirtala earned the win in the opening game with 5.0 innings of relief work and went 2-0 with one save and a 1.40 ERA (3 ER, 15.0 IP) in the road series at Simon Fraser.

 

With two weeks left in the 2026 regular season, the Vikings complete the home portion of the schedule next weekend hosting Saint Martin's with doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday (April 25-26) starting at noon at Viking Field.

 

Game 1 – WWU 7, SFU 4:

The Vikings opened the doubleheader with a 7-4 victory, officially clinching the series victory after sweeping Friday's games to open the four-game set at Beedie Field.

 

Sophomore catcher EmmaJoy Wise led off the game with a solo home run as part of a two-run 1st inning.

 

SFU pulled to within two runs on a two-run home run by Lizzy Sugrive in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

 

The Vikings responded with two runs in the top of the 4th inning with Hailey Rath plating a pair of runs on a single through the right side of the infield. WWU went up 7-2 on a sacrifice fly by Wise in the top of the 6th inning. The Red Leafs rallied in the bottom of the 7th on a two-run home run by Makena Simmons, but couldn't complete the comeback.

 

Freshman Alanna Wirtala earned the win improving to 20-9 on the season with 5.0 relief innings allowing six hits and two runs. Starting pitcher Evalyn Massena allowed two runs in the first 2.0 innings. Wise was 2-for-2 with a walk and sacrifice fly to lead the Vikings 10-hit attack. Rath was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI and designated player Emily McCutcheon went 2-for-4 with one RBI.

 

Western Washington 7, Simon Fraser 4 (Game 1)

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Western Washington..... 202 201 0 -  7 10  0      (25-15, 11-4 GNAC)

Simon Fraser........... 002 000 2 -  4 12  2      (14-27, 12-7 GNAC)

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WWU: Massena, Wirtala (3) and Wise, Pewitt

SFU: Bourque and Sugrive

Win-Wirtala (20-9)  Loss-Bourque (10-13)  T-2:13

HR WWU - Wise (9)

HR SFU - Sugrive (5), Simmons (3)

 

Game 2 – SFU 2, WWU 1:

EmmaJoy Wise led off the game with another home run, taking the first pitch of the game deep over the left field fence for her 10th home run of the season.

 

That would be the only run the Vikings would score in the game, as SFU starter Emma Franklin settled in allowing only three hits the rest of the game as the Red Leafs salvaged the final game of the series winning 2-1.

 

WWU led 1-0 with starting pitcher Evalyn Massena holding SFU scoreless through the first five innings. The Red Leafs finally crossed the plate in the bottom of the 6th inning, scoring a pair of runs to take the lead. Grace McMillan led off with a single, stole second base and scored on a single up the middle by Lizzy Sugrive. The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch by Massena.

 

The Vikings put the potential tying run in scoring position in the top of the 7th inning after a leadoff single by Olivia Matlock, but Franklin closed out her complete-game victory striking out pinch-hitter Emily McCutcheon to end the game.

 

Wise went 2-for-3 with a home run and Rachel Traxler and Matlock also recorded hits. Massena was saddled with the tough-luck loss allowing five this and two runs in the 6.0-inning complete game.

 

Simon Fraser 2, Western Washington 1 (Game 2)

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Western Washington..... 100 000 0 -  1  4  0      (25-16, 11-5 GNAC)

Simon Fraser........... 000 002 X -  2  5  0      (15-27, 13-7 GNAC)

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WWU: Massena and Pewitt

SFU: Franklin and Sugrive

Win-Franklin (3-6)  Loss-Massena (4-4)  T-1:24  A-110

HR WWU - Wise (10)

 

The Vikings (25-16, 11-5 GNAC) return home next weekend for the final regular-season games at Viking Field hosting Saint Martin's to a four-game series Saturday and Sunday in Bellingham. Sunday will be Senior Day for Western student-athletes Hailey Rath and Olivia Matlock. 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 past the midway point in 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 124-41 (.752).