BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University softball team was swept in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Viking Field, dropping games to Central Washington 8-6 in 10 innings and 9-5.
The Vikings entered the day having won eight of their last nine games, but for the first time this season have lost back-to-back conference games to fall to 13-8 overall and 7-3 in GNAC play. CWU improved to 13-4 overall and remained undefeated in league play at 6-0.
After making only three errors in the previous nine games, WWU made seven errors in the two games Saturday leading to eight unearned runs.
Senior Shearyna Labasan was saddled with the loss in both games of the doubleheader after going 3-0 last weekend, allowing 17 hits and 12 runs (6 ER) in 9.1 innings. Labasan led the Vikings offensive attack that netted 26 hits in the two games, going 5-for-8 with 2 runs scored, a double and one RBI.
Senior first baseman Emily Benson was 3-for-8 and hit her team-leading 6th home run of the season. Senior shortstop Cylie Richards was 4-for-8 with a pair of RBI. Senior pitcher/third baseman Makinlee Sellevold went 3-for-10 with a hit in each game to extend her hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.
The Vikings return to GNAC play tomorrow hosting Saint Martin’s in a doubleheader starting at noon at Viking Field.
GAME NOTES…Emily Benson hit her sixth home run of the season, the 37th of her career to tie for 4th-most in GNAC history…Makinlee Sellevold made her 97th pitching appearance to move into a tie for 2nd place in program history with Jenna DeRosier (2011-14)…Shearyna Labasan recorded her 24th career double, tied for 11th-most in WWU program history.
CWU 8, WWU 6 – 10 innings (Game 1) Box Score | Game Book
The Vikings dropped a tough 8-6 decision in 10 innings to the Wildcats in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
WWU led 4-1 through five innings and carried a 5-3 lead into the 7th inning before the Wildcats pushed across the tying run when the Vikings committed a pair of errors on the same play.
The Wildcat struck first in the top of the 1st inning when catcher Theresa Moyle scored on a wild pitch. Moyle doubled with one out and moved to third base on a single to right field by designated player Maddy Zerr before scoring on the Sellevold wild pitch.
After starting pitcher Makinlee Sellevold got out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the top of the 4th inning, the Vikings responded in a big way pushing across four runs in the bottom of the 4th inning. Sophomore second baseman Kira Doan plated a pair of runs with a single to center field and senior shortstop Cylie Richards also drove home a run with a single.
CWU cut the deficit to one run with a two-out, two-run pinch-hit double off the left field fence by Alycia Bannan. WWU added what at the time was an important insurance run on a RBI triple by Sellevold in the bottom of the 6th inning extending the lead to 5-3.
The Vikings looked to seal the game in the top of the 7th inning when Katie Kastning lined out to shortstop for the second out of the inning. But when Richards tried to double off the runner at second base to end the game, her throw sailed into right field to move the runners up. Backing up the play, right fielder Mackenzie Palmer’s throw back into the infield caught part of a fence down the right field line allowing both runners to score to tie the game.
Both teams were held scoreless in the 8th and 9th innings, and the Wildcats pushed three runs across in the top of the 10th inning with the international tiebreaker rule in effect placing a runner in scoring position to begin the inning. WWU got a run back in the bottom of the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Shearyna Labasan, but couldn’t get any closer for the 8-6 final.
Labasan went 3-for-4 with a double, while Sellevold (2-for-6, 3B, RBI), Doan (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Seli Aholelei (2-for-5) also tabbed multi-hit games. WWU left a season-high 13 runners on base and were 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Starting pitcher Makinlee Sellevold recorded a no-decision allowing 11 hits and 5 runs (3 ER) in 7.2 innings. She struck out 5 and walked 3 batters. Labasan suffered the loss to fall to 3-1 on the season, allowing 3 unearned runs in 2.1 innings of relief work.
CWU designated player Maddy Zerr was 3-for-4 to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Starting pitcher Lexie Strasser recorded the complete-game victory on 176 pitches, allowing 13 hits and 6 runs (5 ER).
CWU 9, WWU 5 (Game 2) Box Score | Game Book
The Vikings and Wildcats were tied 3-3 through the first four innings, but Central Washington closed the game scoring six runs over the final three innings to win the second game of the doubleheader 9-5.
Senior first baseman Emily Benson hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season in the 3rd inning to tie the game 3-3. After a scoreless 4th inning, CWU scored a pair of runs in the 5th inning, with junior first baseman Julia Reuble providing a go-ahead solo home run to left field.
After the Wildcats added a single tally in the 6th and three more runs in the 7th, WWU rallied in the bottom of the 7th inning. The Vikings scored a pair of runs and brought the tying run to the plate, but freshman Isabel Womack got the final two outs to seal the win and record her first save of the season.
WWU starting pitcher Shearyna Labasan recorded the loss to fall to 3-2 on the season, allowing 15 hits and 9 runs (6 ER) in the complete-game effort.
Senior shortstop Cylie Richards went 3-for-4 to lead the Vikings 13-hit attack, while Benson (2-for-3, R, HR, 3 RB) and Labasan (2-for-4, R) also recorded multi-hit games. All nine WWU starters recorded at least one hit in the game.
CWU leadoff hitter Savannah Egbert went 3-for-5 with a run scored and right fielder Katie Kastning was 2-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. Second baseman Bethany Balucan went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored.
Wildcat starting pitcher Samantha Stanfield did not factor in the decision allowing 6 hits ane 3 runs in 2.0 innings. Relief pitcher Taylor Williams (2-0) recorded the win allowing 6 hits and 2 runs in 3.1 innings.