MONMOUTH, Ore. – Going against the top pitching staff in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, runs were at a premium for the Western Oregon University softball team Saturday in their conference openers against Western Washington. Backed by a pair of complete game shutouts, the Vikings won game one, 8-0, and then closed the doubleheader with a 3-0 win in game two.
The pitching duo of Anna Kasner and Kira Doan limited WOU (3-3, 0-2 GNAC) to just seven hits and nine total baserunners in the two games.
In the opener, WWU (11-3, 2-0 GNAC) jumped out first with a run in the second. After adding a solo home run in the third to push the lead to 2-0, the Wolves threatened in the home half. With one out, Hannah Stewart ripped a shot to deep left that hit the fence and went for a double. Kasner then picked up a strikeout and foul out to end the inning.
The Vikings tallied four more runs in the fourth to move out to a 6-0 lead. In the home half, WOU again got a double, this time from Kirah McGlothan as she roped a hit right down the left field line. Kasner again got out of the inning with a strikeout.
WWU picked up two more runs in the fifth to end the game early as Kasner worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to give the Vikings an 8-0 win.
WWU held a 11-3 edge in hits as Kiley Lynn, McGlothan and Stewart had the hits for WOU. In the circle, Chandler Bishop started for WOU and went all five innings to end up with the loss (0-1) allowing eight runs (four earned) and added a pair of strikeouts.
Tatum Dow paced WWU with three hits, while Kasner, Dakota Brooks and Brooke Fesenbek added two-hit games. Kasner drove in three to lead the way. In the circle, Kasner then went all five innings for the shutout picking up 10 strikeouts.
In the second game, Reilly Tidwell gave the Wolves a terrific start throwing 147 pitches in a seven inning complete game effort. She allowed just one earned run and picked up three strikeouts.
Doan and Tidwell went toe-to-toe in the circle with neither pitcher allowing a run over the first five innings.
WOU had their best threat in the fifth. Sydney Bowers opened the frame with a walk and then Mariah Hyre reached on a fielding error by the shortstop that moved runners to second and third. Doan was then able to get a groundout to short and a strikeout for the first two outs. Stewart stepped in and after fouling the first pitch off, she lined a shot to left that was just caught by the outfielder to end the inning.
The Vikings rode the momentum into the sixth inning as they plated three runs to open up a 3-0 lead. WOU was able to get a baserunner on in the seventh when McGlothan led off with a single, but three straight outs ended the inning and left WWU with the 3-0 victory.
WWU held a 7-4 edge in hits with Lynn, Zoie Recolan, McGlothan and Bowers accounting for the hits for WOU. Tidwell ended up on the short end of the scoreboard to take the loss (0-2) despite tossing the complete game.
Lauren Lo and Doan led WWU with two hits apiece, while Doan drove in two. In the circle, Doan tallied the complete game shutout win (4-2) giving up the four hits, a walk and six strikeouts.
WWU and WOU will continue their four-game GNAC series tomorrow (Sunday) when they will play another doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Follow along with live video found here and live stats found here.
