Softball | 3/13/2011 8:24:33 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 [Box score - Game One] [Box score - Game Two] [Box score - Game Three]
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Oregon softball team lost a trio of heartbreakers to host No. 18 Western Washington, 2-1, 7-6, and 8-7, in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Saturday.
The Wolves dropped to 7-11 (4-8 GNAC) after the weekend while the nationally-ranked Vikings improved to 16-1 (11-1 GNAC) with the trio of victories.
Game One
Sunday's opener saw WWU's Meghan Carrillo drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving the hosts a 2-1 victory.
The Wolves took a 1-0 lead when freshman Ashley Worthey's RBI double to right-center scored senior Jessica Hallmark in the second inning.
WWU responded in the third behind a run-scoring single, knotting the game at 1-1.
The game proceeded into extra innings after neither team was able to find the scoreboard again in regulation. The Wolves advanced two runners to second base and one to third, but came up empty each time. WWU also had its chances, most notably having a player thrown out at home in the tenth inning on an attempted steal.
The Vikings finally broke through in the 11th inning as Carrillo's walk-off triple down the right-field line drove in Karli Baumgartner.
Neither team was able to get anything consistent as Vikings senior Erika Quint shut down WOU's hitters, giving up a total of four hits while striking out 16 batters. Her counterpart, Western freshman Alex Hillmick, ceded ten hits and seven walks on the day, but was able to get several clutch outs, stranding 17 WWU players while fanning five.
Sophomore Andrea Bailey recorded her fifth steal of the season, tied for most steals in the conference.
Game Two
The Vikings scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the come-from-behind win in Sunday's second game.
Western Oregon opened the game with four runs in the first inning. Bailey was walked, stole second, then advanced to third on an illegal pitch. Senior Jessica Wood reached on an error by WWU's second baseman, scoring Bailey in the process. Junior Bailey Rueck followed with a double to left center before senior Jessica Hallmark smashed one to left field, driving in both Wood and Rueck to put WOU up 4-0.
The Wolves added another run in the third inning after Rueck's single drove in Worthey.
WOU pitcher Kelsey White kept the Vikings scoreless until the fifth inning when an RBI single finally put the hosts on the board.
Junior Kelsie Didion scored Western's sixth run on an error by WWU's third baseman, giving the Wolves a 6-1 lead heading into the seventh inning.
The Vikings started the seventh inning with a fly out to center. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases, but another pop fly, this time to second base, was their second out. A single through the left side drove in the first run before a pitching error scored the second, making the score 6-3, still in WOU's favor.
The next batter doubled to left center, scoring two runs, cutting the deficit to 6-5. A single up the middle was enough, as two more runs crossed home plate, giving WWU the win.
White pitched six innings for Western, giving up one unearned run and seven hits while K'ing four. Wood (3-7) took the loss for WOU.
Hallmark's home run was her conference-leading fifth of the season. Rueck tallied three hits while Bailey added two.
WWU pitcher Jenna DeRosier (4-1) earned the win behind a nine-hit, six-run (one earned), three-strikeout performance.
Game Three
Sunday's nightcap saw the Wolves battle back from a 7-2 deficit only to have WWU hit a game-winning RBI single to complete the series sweep.
In the top of the second, Hallmark drove in Wood on a double down the left-field line. Hallmark later scored on a throwing error by WWU's catcher, giving WOU a 2-0 advantage.
The Vikings responded with a huge inning of their own, notching seven runs, putting the hosts up 7-2 after two innings.
The Wolves got one back in the third on an RBI from Worthey. They scored two more in the fifth behind a pair of illegal pitches before tying the game in the top of the seventh. Rueck drove in George on a single to left center, followed by a double from senior Tierra-Lyn Cuba that scored Rueck, knotting the game at 7-7.
WWU singled to start the bottom of the seventh before the next batter popped out to WOU's pitcher. Another single put runners at first and second, followed by a sacrifice hit that advanced the runners to second and third. After the next batter was walked, an RBI single to right center drove in the game-ending run.
Hallmark and Worthey had two hits apiece for Western, and four different players recorded an RBI.
White pitched five innings for WOU, but Hillmick took the loss after replacing White for the final 1.2 innings.
WWU threw four pitchers, and Devyn Baker (1-0) got credit for the victory.
Next Time Out
WOU will play host to GNAC foe Central Washington in a pair of doubleheaders next weekend. First pitch for Saturday is set for noon. First pitch for Sunday is set for 11 am.
