BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Western Washington University softball team split a doubleheader with Western Oregon for the second consecutive day on Saturday at Viking Field, rallying with a 5-run 7th inning for a 6-5 walk-off win in game one before the Wolves responded with a 1-0 victory in game two.
WWU won the first game of each day as the Vikings (22-17, 11-9 GNAC) and Wolves (23-18, 10-10 GNAC) played consecutive doubleheaders during a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. The game one victory on Saturday was punctuated with a 3-run walk-off double from junior third baseman/pitcher Makinlee Sellevold (Everett, WA/Cascade).
Sophomore pitcher/third baseman Shearyna Labasan (Mililani, HI/Maryknoll) was 4-for-7 on the day with an RBI and a run, and also picked up the win in the circle during game one. Sellevold finished 2-for-6 for the day with 4 RBI and a run to total 9 RBI over the 4 games against WOU and twice tie her career high of 4 RBI in a game.
Junior first baseman Emily Benson (West Richland, WA/Kamiakin) went 2-for-6 with a run and extended her hitting streak to 8 games while sophomore center fielder McKenna Mathis (Mesa, WA/Connell) was also 2-for-6 with a run over the 2 games. Junior outfielder/catcher Carlie Richards (Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) had a walk in game one and a double in game two to extend her streak of reaching base safely to 26 games.
WWU hosts Concordia on Sunday with a doubleheader set to begin at noon. Sunday will be Senior Day as the Vikings will honor seniors Kali Patterson (Bonney Lake, WA) and Mackenzie Hughes (Ellensburg, WA).
The Vikings have 8 regular-season games remaining with an 11-9 GNAC record. WWU, Saint Martin’s (11-7 GNAC), Northwest Nazarene (13-11 GNAC) and WOU (10-10 GNAC) are all among the top 5 in the conference standings behind GNAC-leading Central Washington (18-2 GNAC). The top 4 teams in the standings at the end of the regular season compose the field for the GNAC Championships.
GAME 1 // WWU 6, WESTERN OREGON 5 Box Score & Play-by-Play
Makinlee Sellevold hit a 3-run, walk-off double to cap a 5-run 7th inning leading the Vikings to a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Western Oregon in the first game of the doubleheader. Trailing 5-1 entering their final at-bat, the Vikings did not record an out during the five-run outburst.
WWU quickly loaded the bases with singles by senior second baseman Kali Patterson and McKenna Mathis, and a WOU fielding error. Shearyna Labasan brought in the first run with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and then junior left fielder Sarah Morrow (Enumclaw, WA) cut the lead to 5-3 with a run-scoring single. Sellevold then drilled the first pitch high off the center field fence to bring home all three runners to give WWU the dramatic 6-5 victory.
Up until the 7th inning, the Vikings were limited to 4 hits and 1 run by WOU starter Sammi Cadwallader, who was saddled with the loss.
WWU struck first with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning on a two-out solo home run by Sellevold. The Wolves plated a pair of runs in each the 2nd and 4th innings, and extended the lead to 5-1 with another run in the top of the 6th inning.
Sellevold finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBI and a run to tie her single-game career-high for RBI, and Mathis was 2-for-3 with a run. Labasan (8-5) earned the complete-game victory allowing 12 hits and 5 runs (4 ER). She struck out 3 batters and did not issue a walk.
Cadwallader (7-3) took the loss allowing 8 hits and 6 runs (5 ER) in the complete-game effort. Cheyanne Rimer (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Jenna Kelly (2-for-4), Ashlee Lynch (2-for-4) and Zoe Clark (2-for-3, 2 R) all recorded multi-hit games for the Wolves. Mercedes Green was 1-for-3 with a 2-run home run, her first of the season.
The victory was No. 199 for the coaching career of head coach Amy Suiter. The game included a 55 minute rain delay that began after the bottom of the 4th inning was completed.
Western Washington 6, Western Oregon 5 (Apr 22, 2017 at Bellingham, WA) (Game 1)
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Western Oregon…… 020 201 0 – 5 12 3 (22-18, 9-10 GNAC)
Western Washington.. 100 000 5 – 6 8 2 (22-16, 11-8 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Western Oregon – Cadwallader,Sammi and Green,Mercedes. Western Washington –
Labasan,Shearyna and Hughes,Mackenzie.
Win-Labasan,Shearyna(8-5) Loss-Cadwallader,Sammi(7-3) T-1:49 A-0
HR WOU – Green,Mercedes (1).
HR WWU – Sellevold,Makinlee (4).
Weather: 59-degrees
Game notes:
Rain Delay: 55 minutes (top 5th)
Makinlee Sellevold walk-off 3-run double in bottom of 7th inning
Cadwallader faced 6 batters in the 7th.
GAME 2 // WESTERN OREGON 1, WWU 0 Box Score & Play-by-Play
The Wolves scored the game’s only run in the 6th inning with an RBI single from Tess Kuehl and starting pitcher Haley Fabian tossed a complete game shutout as WOU bounced back to earn a split of the doubleheader.
WWU threatened to rally late for the second game in a row, putting runners on third base and second base with 1 out in the 7th inning before consecutive popups to shortstop ended the game.
Emma Alfonso led off the 6th inning with a single before advancing to third base with a 1-out double from Cheyanne Rimer. Kuehl followed and singled through the left side to plate Alfonso for a 1-0 lead before a groundout and fly out ended the threat.
The Vikings nearly took a lead in the 4th inning after Carlie Richards had doubled and advance to third baseba on a groundout. A line drive from senior second baseman Kali Patterson headed toward right-center field was snagged by WOU second baseman Ashlee Lynch, who made a full-extension dive to her right to record the out and keep Richards at third base before a groundout ended the inning.
Fabian (10-7) picked up both wins for WOU in the series, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks during Saturday’s start. She added 2 strikeouts as well.
Makinlee Sellevold (2-7) took the tough-luck loss, allowing 1 run on 7 hits with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk of 7.0 innings pitched.
Shearyna Labasan went 3-for-4 to tie her single-game career-high for hits. Kuehl was 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Wolves.
Western Oregon 1, Western Washington 0 (Apr 22, 2017 at Bellingham, WA) (Game 2)
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Western Oregon…… 000 001 0 – 1 6 3 (23-18, 10-10 GNAC)
Western Washington.. 000 000 0 – 0 6 1 (22-17, 11-9 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Western Oregon – Fabian,Haley and Siolo,Ku’ulei. Western Washington –
Sellevold,Makinlee and Richards,Carlie.
Win-Fabian,Haley(10-7) Loss-Sellevold,Makinlee(2-7) T-1:32 A-86
Weather: 57-degrees, Wet
Game Notes: Makinlee Sellevold recorded a pair of extra-base hits in G#1 (2B, HR), giving her 42 XBH for her career to move into 8th place in WWU history…Sellevold’s walk-off double was the 30th double of her career, tied for 5th-most in WWU history…Carlie Richards recorded a walk (G#1) and double (G#2) to extend her streak of reaching base safely to 26 consecutive games…Emily Benson went 1-for-3 in each game of the doubleheader to extend her hitting streak to 8 consecutive games…head coach Amy Suiter is one win shy of 200 for her coaching career (199-203)…Shearyna Labasan went 3-for-4 in G#2 to tie her single-game career-high in hits (5th career 3-hit game)…Sellevold (16) and Labasan (15) lead the team in multiple-hit games…when serving as the designated player (14 games), Labasan is batting .450 (18-for-40) with 12 runs scored…Saturday’s game was the annual “Strikeout Cancer Pink Game” with the Vikings wearing pink jerseys to help raise awareness for cancer.
